A Universe of Change: Realized Probabilities
by The Sithspawn
Summary: The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland of the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG’s Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission and supervision.
1. Prelude

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **"Star Trek", "Star Trek: The Next Generation", "Star Trek: Deep Space Nine", and "Star Trek: Enterprise" and all related Star Trek related material, it's characters and certain technological devices and/or references to such, from the television shows and movies, may be or are registered trademarks of, and may be or are copyrighted by Paramount Studios and whatever Corporation it may or may not be owned by.

Farscape and all related material are the property of and copyrighted by the Jim Henson Workshop.

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland of the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Author's Notes: **AlbertG wasn't going to write this and I wanted to see what would happen, that is my only excuse for writing this ficJ As always Read, Enjoy and Review.

Introduction:

USS Voyager:

"Kate," Q told her. "When this temporal war accelerated, Quinn and I intervened directly and corrected all but two timelines. As a result of our failure, the fallout of this temporal war has spread to other universes. Two alternates of the Enterprise C and D have been lost. One will determine the fate of a galaxy. The other is changing a universe by taking sides against species that call themselves Peacekeepers and Scarrens. What they will do would shock you, Kate. But that is not your concern.

"They're violating the Prime Directive," she said.

"Yes."

"Will you stop them?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Don't be so naïve, Kate," Q criticized. "They're permanently trapped there although they don't know this yet. They're also needed there in that particular quantum universe. The Earth is not doing so well there and with Johnny-boy-with-attitude stirring things up, things might change for the better. Talk about some depraved Human stock! We should have destroyed all the ships, but this was an exception. Think of it as a realized reality with an unrealized probability thrown into the mix…They are so screwed."

_"Prelude"_

Jean-Luc Picard, Captain of the _USS Enterprise-D_ stared intently at the woman still lying on the medical bed nursing a bad fracture and serious internal injuries. He'd known her for only a few hours, but he'd come to like this woman and what he had to tell her filled him with sorrow. However, Picard had every intention of telling her anyway, because it was necessary not only for him, but for the entire Alpha quadrant. The Captain had come to understand that this entire timeline, the war with the Klingons, everything he believed for the last twenty-two years was a lie.

The _Enterprise-C_ had entered the sector thru a very unstable temporal rift; a rift that literally appeared in front the _Enterprise-D_ for no apparent reason. It had been speculated that the occurrence happened when something similar to a Kerr loop of superstring material interacted with the energies from multiple photon explosions, pushing the _Ambassador_-class ship into the future-exactly twenty-two years, three months and four days.

His heart filled him with sorrow, but he quickly hardened it for the task that he being was forced to perform. "Captain," Picard continued. "If your ship had stayed to confront those Romulan warbirds, even if it were destroyed, that sacrifice might have averted twenty years of war."

"And you want us to go back that?" Rachel Garrett, Captain of the _USS Enterprise-C_ looked at him as though he was insane. Responding to a distress, call she and her crew had confronted four Romulan warbirds in an attempt to stop them from attacking a defenseless Klingon colony. She lost and a savage barrage of photon torpedoes ripped into her ship and created a temporal rift in surrounding space that plunged her ship with its one hundred twenty-five survivors from the past. "We just barely got out with our lives and you want us to go back?"

Picard looked at her with a compassion that he thought that he'd lost after all these years of experiencing death and destruction. "I don't believe that there is a choice in this matter." He moved closer to the Captain, his voice going soft. "Starfleet is losing this war. We estimate that within four months we'll have to sue for peace. One more ship won't change the outcome here, but it would make a significant difference if a Federation ship were seen to protect a Klingon outpost against the Romulans. It would be considered a matter of honor."

Rachel looked at him with a mixture of compassion and complete dread. She understood what was happening here in the future. She'd come to the same conclusion as he had. "To tell the truth, my crew hated running from that fight." She smiled slightly. "Help us get our ship together and we'll give them a fight that they'll long remember." She was resigned to her fate. Death was waiting and there was nothing she could do about it but face it with it with dignity- and of course spitting in its ugly face.

Picard looked deeply into the eyes a doomed woman. He'd never seen anything braver in his life.

In the recreation room called Ten Forward, the woman known as Guinan felt more uncomfortable by the moment. All she had to go on were her feelings; that this time line, this existence they were presently in, was all wrong and she told an unbelieving Picard exactly that. The hundreds of hardened soldiers crammed aboard this already overcrowded starship felt wrong. Then there was Tasha Yar, and echo of a life that should not have existed. The woman called Tasha Yar felt wrong-the actual word that came to Guinan was _dead_.

_This should have been a ship of peace not a warship_, she explained to a then disbelieving Picard. With her uncanny ability to perceive things, she understood this whole series of events should not have existed. But now something else was nagging the back of her brain. The Federation was in a war with the Klingons and over forty billion had died while the Romulans were just waiting to pick up the pieces.

She told Picard that the _Enterprise-C_ needed to return from whence it came its own time to correct the timeline, and after he understood, he agreed; but something was still wrong. Outside, the distortional temporal rift fluctuated slightly, catching her attention. She felt a shifting; something about to begin, but she didn't know exactly what was beginning.

"Captain," Tasha Yar, Chief of Security, said, quickly confirming her findings on her tactical computer. "Two Klingon bird of preys have de-cloaked."

"Red alert! Lock on and destroy," Picard said instantly. There was no trying to disable engines or minimizing loss of life, as he would have considered in another existence. He simply wanted to kill them as efficiently as possible.

"Phasers, lock onto the closest one towards the _Enterprise-C_," Commander William Riker added, his voice as cold as his Captain's.

"Fire."

Because of the Klingon's insistence on attacking the smaller _Ambassador_-class ship, it remained visible a few moments too long. _Enterprise-D_ galaxy class starship's phasers slashed into and thru Klingon shields, causing significant damage. Life support had been obliterated and internal explosions could be seen erupting throughout the small ship. At the same time, photon torpedoes damaged the second Klingon ship just as it fired a devastating blow at the _Enterprise–C._ That vessel re-cloaked, barely able to escape the vengeful Starship.

The smaller Federation ship rocked violently, its already weakened shields barely holding. Captain Garrett was knocked out of her command chair, a nasty gash in the center of her head where a piece of metal had hit but thankfully not penetrated. Lieutenants Tasha Yar and Richard Castillo prepared to defend the ship from the brutal attack on the already once crippled ship.

The second Klingon ship moved off after firing and missing the _Enterprise-C_, vainly trying to avoid the _Enterprise-D_'s responding salvo, its port shields damaged or obliterated. The Klingon ship itself now a death trap.

"Are there any survivors on that ship?" Picard demanded looking at the rapidly disintegrating _Bird-of-prey_ hulk.

"Three," came the answer, from lieutenant Commander Data.

"Beam them to the brig. I want prisoners," the Captain growled. Klingon prisoners were rare and he intended to make the most of it.

"Done."

"Captain, three more Klingon vessels are de-cloaking. They're heavy cruisers. ETA four minutes."

_Three_.

He knew that they were coming. Starfleet's long-range tactical Intel had been tracking them, but their timing had been inaccurate. It should have been nine hours before the Klingon ships arrived not seven. They had gotten here before they were supposed to.

Such were the fortunes of war.

That was too many for the _Enterprise-D_ to handle and protect its weakened sister ship at the same time. Picard realized that the Klingons had forced his decision and he'd run out of options.

"Emergency power to the shields to protect the _Enterprise-C_. Tell them to head for the rift now!" This was the decision that he didn't dare make. With the _Enterprise-D_ traveling back into the past, the timeline would again be polluted, but maybe he could do something about it. "We're going into the rift with them. Number One, prepare to engage Romulan warbirds as soon as we clear the rift. Inform Captain Garrett of our plans."

"Yes, sir," Commander William Riker responded, relaying the orders immediately.

Both ships headed towards the rift and entered just as the Klingon battle cruisers fired a full salvo of disruptor class torpedoes at both ships. Their detonations would be seen for light years. The _Enterprises_ shields were both obliterated.

"No!" Guinan screamed, falling to the floor. She was joined by many other people draped over tables and chairs from the force of the impact. She screamed again as the two _Enterprises_ were covered in the blackness emanating from the rift. "This is wrong!"

No one heard her.

The additional energy blasts from the photon torpedoes warped the temporal rift. Both ships were pulled into a dark black, then red-blue tunnel, ripped apart at a quantum level and re-assembled. Hours later, both ships emerged from the rift nearly powerless and alone.

**Author's Notes:** Hope u like this chapter. Please read and Review even if it's just to say good chapter:)


	2. Chapter 1 Lost

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: Hope u enjoy this.**

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission and suppervison.

**Chapter One: Lost  
**  
The two Federation Starships re-appeared about two kilometers distant from one another near a G3 class star of unknown determination. Almost everyone had been rendered unconscious, and only now were they just beginning to stir. Life support was functional, but precious little else. Half-dazed crews worked feverously now, unsure when or if a Klingon attack was coming. If the Klingons or Romulans attacked them now, they wouldn't stand a chance of defending themselves.

After an hour of frantic repairs, both crews realized they were in a far worse situation that they'd first assumed. In engineering, most of the critical systems were back online and now Geordi and his assistant were trying their best to reactivate the android Lieutenant Commander.

" Data? Data! Can you hear me?" Geordi asked. "Obviously not," he said to his assistant, Ensign Sonya Gomez. They had checked Data twice and both were bewildered. "He should be functional."

" Oh. I found the problem," she answered, pointing at a broken sub-circuit. "That left micro-lead has been severed. It's so small that you can hardly see it."

" Okay, I got it," he said while re-fusing the connection with the laser probe. Sonya's closeness and that perfume she was wearing was distracting him. Not for the first time he'd wished he could see her for real and not through his VISOR. He was blind from birth and the VISOR device allowed him to 'see' in a blizzard of electronic signals and colors. He could see a thousand things that were beyond mere Human sight, but regular colors and textures were beyond his ability. Sonya was younger than he and absolutely beautiful, but she didn't even know he existed. He wished he could say the same about her. "There. That did it."

Data's eyes snapped open. He looked around. "Thank you, Geordi. I have been inactive for four hours, thirty-one minutes twenty-one seconds. What has happened during that time? Are we still defending ourselves against the Klingons or have we engaged and defeated the Romulans?"

" Whoa, Data," Geordi told him. "Slow down. Sensors haven't detected any Klingons or Romulans in the area. And that's the problem."

" Problem?" he asked with his usual interest. "In what way?"

" Slow down for a moment," Geordi advised again as Data attempted to sit up. "Perform an internal diagnostic first."

" Acknowledged." A few seconds later: "I am fully functional. Now what is the problem?"

" Well for one thing, we don't know where we are."

"Interesting."

Captain Garrett, still recovering from her recently wounds incurred in the attacked by the Klingon bird-of- prey, Captain Picard, Commander William Riker and acting Number One for the _Enterprise_-C, Richard Castillo and several other crewmembers waited somewhat impatiently for Data and Geordi to join them.

As soon as they entered, Picard bombarded them with questions. "Mr. Data, exactly what happened? Where are we? Why were we out for more than four and a half hours?"

"When we attempted to enter the temporal rift with the _Enterprise_-C," Data began, "we failed to take into consideration that it might be tailored for only one ship, not two. In addition to the instability of the rift and its interactions with the energy excitation of the multiple photon torpedo bursts, a series of micro-fractures in the subspace ether were generated. Both of our ships entered a micro-fracture and we ended up here. In essence, I believe that we are in another universe."

"Another universe, through a temporal rift?" Picard asked, realizing that this wasn't just a question of distance or even time, but universal displacement.

"There's more," Geordi said, and then grimaced himself as his additional comment created audible groans from multiples sources. He knew that this was last thing they needed to hear right now. "To us, it felt like four hours were torn from our lives but according to the _Enterprise's_ external chronometer, we've been traveling for more than a year and a half. We're not even in the Alpha Quadrant anymore and we're still having trouble trying to lock down exactly where we are now. Both _Enterprises_ were taken apart at a quantum level and restructured. We're still running detailed diagnostics to make sure everything is in working order. With everything we've seen so far, it's going to take at least five days to get everything back in ship shape."

As per usual, his Captain cut that time in half. "You have two days," Picard said.

Data stood up indicating he had something else to add to Geordi's report and Captain Picard gestured for him to start, "On another front Sir, we have been picking up massive amount of signals that seem to indicate we are on a border between two interstellar powers."

Needless to say, this caught everyone's attention.

Data continued. "We've managed to decrypt these signals but they are in several different languages, all of which we are unfamiliar with. The Universal Translator is having some trouble deciphering what is being said. Repairs on the short-range sensors will be fully repaired in another six hours. Long range sensors have picked up ships but so far neither border patrol for either group has discovered our presence here, but that is only a matter of time, Sir."

Picard felt his stomach knot, they were two unknown ships floating in space between two unknown Interstellar powers in an unknown galaxy. This situation had to be dealt with care – extreme care.

"In addition, our scans have revealed that they are not using warp drive as a means of faster than light propulsion. They appear to be using some type of FTL-drive that does not require them to pass into subspace. While we are at warp we should be completely invisible to their sensors." Data sat down indicating that he was finished.

"Lieutenant Commander Yar, I want the _Enterprise_ to remain at Yellow alert at all times until I say otherwise. Captain Garret I suggest that the _Enterprise_-C also maintain Yellow alert status until further notice," he calmly commanded before turning back to Data and Geordi. "Figure out where we are and where the border between these two ends. And start searching for a way back to our own universe. Make sure the sensors are working. We have no idea what species may exist here and how they will react to our presence. I do not wish any hostile ship to catch us napping. Lieutenant Yar, dispatch several probes, pattern Delta. I want to know what exactly is going on in the surrounding area, use any personnel necessary to figure it out."

"Yes, Sir."

The meeting continued for another half hour before being dismissed. There was a lot of work to do. The two Captains remained in the ready room to finish up.

"Captain," Rachel Garrett said. "We should be able to take some time to work on my ship. Most of my crew has died and your ship is crowded with soldiers. So I would like to suggest that you transfer some of them to the _Enterprise-C_. That would alleviate the pressure on your ship and bring mine back up to speed. If possible, I like to see if we can upgrade my ship a little. You never know and I want to be prepared."

"Good idea," he said, thinking about the possibilities. "Make it so," he ordered and dismissed her.

"Make it so?" she echoed. It took her a half second before she realized what had just happened. Was this man actually trying to dismiss her like she was some kind of cadet? The look she gave him was a withering, brutal stare. Unconsciously, her hands went onto her hips.

"Oh. Sorry Captain," he said, noticing the look, but not feeling sorry in the least.

"Captain, let me make one thing perfectly clear," she snarled in a way that immediately commanded his full attention. "Don't patronize me or my crew. I understand the stress you must have being Captain of a warship," she added, waving her arm to represent the entire _Enterprise-D_. "You've been at war for your entire career. I am not your enemy Captain, but I'm most certainly not your subordinate, either. In fact, I outrank you. I may be displaced out of time, but then so are you and my commission came a long, long time before yours."

"Captain," he snarled back. "Right now, our situation is an unknown quantity in a possibly very inflammatory position. We need to be prepared and supportive of each other until we can resolve it. I will do everything I can to get us back to Federation space. I trust you'll do the same." Rachel's eyes glared at him. "I understand my priorities. And I hope you remember what you're saying right now, Captain Picard, because from what I see now, you've been at war a little too long. My Starfleet wasn't designed for that. We were explorers and I still am, even if your mission statement has changed. I don't want you going all testosterone on me the instant we run into a situation. I don't want to hear how you 'accidentally' blew something up. Remember this: you are part of MY Starfleet. And," she quietly added, "I'm part of yours, so start acting like it."

Picard huffed, said nothing for almost a minute. Then he smiled, more warmly this time. "I am sorry Captain," he said, taking his chair. "War does something to you. It destroys what we can be for what we have to be. You are correct in your evaluation of me. It's been a hard, brutal campaign."

Rachel softened. "I understand. When we get back, if we get back, then you're in charge."

He laughed softly. How nice of her. "It's been a long time since I've received such a dressing down. It feels different."

"At least you didn't have Admiral Sulu breathing down your neck," Rachel said smiling at the distant memory.

"Heaven Forbid," he moaned. "I'm authorizing your suggestions. Now since it appears we will be here for a while, let's bring both our ships up to speed. Your ship is about to be introduced to the joys of modern replicator technology. It's very convenient and very soon we can have more than simple K rations."

"At least we have real food on board my ship," she countered. "And the synthesizers are fully functional. Most of the food had survived the Romulan attack. A good two-year store had been left untouched.

"But we have the state-of-the-art holodecks. That, Captain, is something else that we will have to update. You will be surprised at the improvements."

Later that day both ships launched probes; their purpose was to aid Geordi and Data in pinpointing the two Federation ships' exact position in the galaxy. As they waited for the probes reports to begin filtering back to them, the _Enterprise-C's_ engines received a twenty-five percent boast using the new energizer coils installed by Geordi's engineering crew. Phasers were made hotter by about the same proportion and shields were increased by over forty percent. The ships compliment went from less than one hundred thirty to almost seven hundred fifty, balancing both ships with a total of seventeen hundred crewmembers and everyone was delighted by the extra space. Even Commander Sisko's three thousand fleet marines being transported on the _Enterprise-D_, didn't complain when split between the two ships. There was room enough to spare.

The _Ambassador_-class ship was slower than the _Galaxy_ class Enterprise-D, but those systems would be optimized as time permitted. Besides, unless the _Enterprise-D_ was at full warp, the difference wouldn't really matter anyway. And the _Enterprise-D_ had the opportunity to do something that rarely presented itself before-exploration.

On the other front, the news was all bad. There was no way to reproduce the conditions that brought them here to this unknown universe. And that was exactly what it was-a completely unknown reality. The quantum signature of this universe they were trapped in was nowhere near the home Federation signature's universe. Temporal-spatial anomaly aside, it was going to take some time in order to return to their universe, if it were even possible. In truth, Picard was secretly glad that he had his sister ship with him, even if its Captain was a pain in the butt. It was rough being alone and isolated, and she was competent enough to do the job if he became incapacitated.

A class-one probe was sent ahead along the border between the two powers in the direction they believed would lead them away from any border patrols, to make sure that they didn't run into any unwelcome surprises. But Picard was still despondent from the news that Guinan delivered to him.

"When you made the decision to enter the temporal rift, it was a mistake," she told him. "Garrett's ship should have went in alone, even if it meant the destruction of our ship. Because that didn't happen, that aberrant timeline remains and we're stuck here."

"Exactly where is here, Guinan? Picard pressed.

"I can't say, exactly," she answered. "I've never been here before, but I can feel the danger surrounding us. This place is disturbed to a degree I have never felt before and our presence will affect the course of events here."

"Can you please be more specific?" He was exasperated. Sometimes talking to her was like speaking with your mouth full of syrup. The woman was incomprehensible when she wanted to be. "I need to know what I'm up against."

"I can't say because I don't know yet," she answered. "When I know, I'll tell you. The good thing is that there are no Borg here. The bad thing is that we have also been displaced in time, but to what extent I don't know. I only know that this is not our time."

Well, they had gone through a temporal rift, Picard reasoned. "What are the Borg?" he asked curiously.

"It doesn't matter," she answered, dismissing his question as trivial. "What does matter is that you and Garrett beware that this universe has a penchant for extreme chaos, not order." Guinan paused for second letting her last comment be digested by Picard before dryly smiling, "Murphy has his own palace here."

Picard was not relieved in the least.

Chief of Security, Tasha Yar, a tall no-nonsense young blond with a fairly bad haircut, and Acting Executive Officer lieutenant Commander Castillo stood in front of the brig's force field, listening to the latest in a long string of Klingon curses from the male survivor of the Bird-of-prey. The younger female, about twenty years old or so, in the next cell, simply glared at them with hate and what Castillo could swear was hurt. He'd talk to her soon, but for now, he concentrated on the big male.

"I'll tell you nothing," the Klingon bellowed. "Kill me. Are you afraid?"

Tasha's eyes glared as she moved to within an inch of the energy barrier separating her from the Klingon Warrior.

"If I had my way," she began speaking so quietly that the warrior had to strain to hear, "I would transport your stinking carcass into the middle of space." And she meant it too. "But the Captain ordered me to talk to you instead," which was something that she clearly did not want to do. "What I am about to tell you is true. I don't care if you believe me or not. We are in another universe, no thanks to your friends' incompetence. So far we haven't been able to find a way back."

The Klingon bellowed heartily "And I thought Humans were the galaxy's best liars. I was wrong." He came to the very edge of the field matching her proximity. Neither budged. "I will kill you all."

" Do something useful. Kill yourself."

Glare. Glare.

For several moments the two of them glowered at one another. Castillo made a small movement causing both pairs of eyes to flicker in his direction. The Klingon eyed him with contempt. "My name is Lieutenant Commander Richard Castillo," he announced evenly. The Klingon guffawed.

"Do you know what 'Kastalleow' means in my language?" He laughed again even more loudly this time.

" My ship is the Enterprise-C," Richard continued, ignoring the implied insult. "Twenty-two years ago we engaged three Romulan Warbirds near the Narendra III outpost. Our ship was crippled but we were pushed through a temporal rift and landed in the future-to this time. We tried to get back but your companion's photon barrage sent us here instead of back into the past."

It was clear that those few words had an impact on the Klingon warrior. He'd seen the temporal rift, but at the time his crew had no explanation as to why both Federation ships were trying to re-enter the distortion other than to escape. And the Enterprise was not a ship populated by cowards. His fool of a Commander decided to attack both Federation ships and the small Bird-of-prey was destroyed as a result.

"Why did you run?" Despite his attempts at feigning disinterest, it was clear that he wanted to know desperately.

"We didn't. We tried to get back, to save the Narendra III colony and correct a timeline that shouldn't exist or least that's what I've been told- "

"To prevent the war," the Klingon finished. It was as though he knew exactly what had happened so many years ago.

"Yes," Richard responded, somewhat surprised by the Klingon's awareness.

"There were those of us who suspected. But we never had proof. The house of Duras pushed for war with the Federation. But we knew."

"So you started a war for no reason?" Castillo was stunned. Never in his wildest imagination did he expect the Klingon to respond like this.

" We started this war for honor. I was a survivor on Khitomer when it was attacked," the warrior stated. "Kastalleow, I do not believe you, fully. But there is a way to submit proof. During the attack, when the Warbirds battled your ship exactly what happened?"

"Our ship was hit by a barrage of photon torpedoes. There was a bright light and we wound up in the future-here," Richard said. Then he added a few more details concerning the firefight.

The Klingon simply shook his head. "As a child on Khitomer, I was told about the battle by my nursemaid. She told me exactly what you described, that it was a bright light that blazed in the heavens with long tail. The tail pulsated like a living thing. Then there was nothing. I told the others that story for many years, but no one believed me when I tried to pass it along. They did believe the Duras clan. But I knew Kahlest spoke the truth."

"All this for nothing," Richard said while Tasha looked at him and the Klingon in shock. He turned away.

"Wait, Human. You are still liars. But I am no fool."

Both of them turned around.

"I am Worf, son of Morg, son of Worf. Now tell me, where are we?"

Explanations took about an hour and were summed up thusly. Nobody had a clue as to what happened or how to get back.

Leaving the prison section, the two officers sat at a table, which was a rarity, in Ten Forward. Tasha was attracted to Castillo the moment she'd seen him and even now her feelings were stronger than before, something that was very unusual for her, especially in such a short period of time.

"How did you know that the Klingon would respond to what you had to say?" Tasha asked him. "I have never known one of them to speak so easily and freely like he did."

"Your hatred of the Klingons is blinding you, Tasha," he answered. "They're not stupid you know. They've been out in deep space since before Archer and his people. Contrary to popular opinion, they can be reasonable provided you can press the correct buttons."

"Which you apparently did."

"Well, I can read people and what I saw in him was a need to understand his purpose in life other than this war. The first hint was that he didn't attempt to kill himself the instant he was captured," he added dryly. "That other Klingon male you captured did, but not him or her, for that fact."

"You must be part Betazoid then, because I didn't have a clue. Actually," she admitted with some reluctance, "I just wanted him dead."

"Some people have called me a pattern sensor," he said. "I can see patterns in a person's personality. Smiling, he added, "No. You don't have to be a mind reader to develop that ability."

Tasha was momentarily confused. She could detect, almost smell danger and dangerous situations, but she had very little understanding when it came to an individual's personality traits. She found that she didn't like the idea of being around a person that could read her so easily. "I think you could become very annoying, Commander."

"On the contrary, it allows me to get along with people very well. A case in point is well, you."

She was in a slight huff now. "I think I've just been insulted," she said in mock anger.

"No," Richard replied quickly. "It's just that the warrior mode in you melts away as soon as we talk. I like that gentle side of you. It makes me want to invite you to dinner."

"Your treat?"

"Of course."

Both ships hadn't moved from their original exit point since the incident that had brought them to this unknown place for fear or running into one of the many border patrols and unwittingly sparking an interstellar conflict between two Empires. For that was what both powers were discovered to be. Data had been able to partially translate some of the decrypted signals and he had tentatively identified the two interstellar powers as the Peacekeepers and the Scarren Empire. From what Data heard it appeared as if they were both in a state of cold war.

Two weeks of attempting to reproduce the conditions necessary to return them to their home dimension simply produced frustration on both sides. For now, it was impossible to get back. The only bright point was that the repair crews were able to bring both ships back to full specifications. Picard was frustrated and angry at being helpless like this. He had to do something. Captain Garrett, a person to whom he was beginning to feel more comfortable with, was becoming a rock that he could bounce his frustrations on. Riker was good, but Garrett was his equal and that made all the difference. To his amazement and in spite of the tenuous position both ships held, he found that he enjoyed 'hands on' work with his ship and the _Enterprise-C_ as well.

Captain Garrett's satisfaction was clearly evident on her face as she looked once more at her restored bridge. She and her remaining original crew were in the process of learning about the capabilities of her newly installed equipment. Everything, twenty-two years updated, gave the impression of almost having an entirely new ship. The replicators were glorious instruments for the facilitation of much needed equipment parts that were almost impossible to make by her engineering staff without Starbase support. The weapons and defense were far more efficient, but she didn't really concern herself with that. The potential for exploration was what intrigued her. With her talks earlier, she and Picard had decided to split the ships into two basic responsibilities. Hers would represent the exploratory and diplomatic half with the new crew wearing the older style uniforms, while Picard's ship would represent the full military branch complete with carrying the big stick, if necessary. They also decided to pass themselves off as part of a very distant, long lost colony of Earth trying to make it back home. The truth could be told, if the opportunity presented itself, at a later time. They had to tread carefully. They had heard nothing of Earth in any of the signals that they had intercepted and they still had not discovered where Earth was. This among other things had the entire crew of both ships on edge.

A new discovery at the beginning of the third week helped calm the crews. A small apparently neutral planet was discovered with a couple of days of travel at warp three. This was the first stop for the two Federation starships. The trip was basically uneventful and much of the time was spent mapping the surrounding star systems as Geordi and Data had yet to pinpoint their position or even a general direction to Earth.

The _Enterprise-C_, now nicknamed the _Ambassador_ by some of the newer crewmembers, entered the outer system of the neutral. Captains Picard and Garret had decided not to show the inhabitants of this galaxy what a ship exiting warp looked like, yet. What scanners revealed was that this system was packed with ships of all descriptions, filled with a myriad of species that Starfleet had never encountered before. Captain Garret was particularly happy at the prospect of so many First Contacts. Captain Picard, on the other hand only saw the potential for more hostilities.

Captains Garret and Picard talked privately and called a meeting on the _Enterprise-D_ as the two Federation starships took up orbit among the alien vessels around the so called 'commerce' planet. They agreed that for now Picard's crew should take point while Garret's crew grew acquainted with the new technology they had received from the Enterprise-D.

The senior officers of both ships were present including Commander Benjamin Sisko, and Captain Picard immediately started dictating who and what should be the away team's main priority, much to Captain Garret's annoyance.

"Number One, I want you to lead the away team, take Commanders Data and Sisko with you along with several Starfleet marines, finding some sort of star map should be you first priority, information on the dominant species in this area of space should be your second; especially anything pertaining to the Scarren Empire and the Peacekeepers," Picard ordered gruffly, "And Number One, try to avoid any contact with this planet's government until we know something about them. We don't know how they will react to us

"Yes, Sir."

"Just a second Captain, wouldn't it be better to contact the government of this world about these things, first?" asked Captain Garrett, who harbored some doubts about sneaking around to find out what they needed. "Perhaps they will be amiable to some sort of negations and introduce us to representatives of the Peacekeepers and the Scarren Empire. We should avoid this subterfuge and introduce ourselves?" she postulated optimistically.

"I understand your doubts Captain but in light of Guinan's warnings would probably be best if we knew something first about our surroundings before we start diplomatic talks with anybody," Picard argued trying to bring her to see his point of view

Garret grimaced, Picard did have a point. Guinan, now there was a person she didn't understand, one moment she was world weary, and ageless-the next she was like the know-it-all next door neighbor that was always right. "So be it, we'll try it your way…this time." Her final statement was a shot at Picard for him taking control of this situation from the get go. She would also have to address this point more pointedly with him…but later and in private. It was best to provide a united command front when in front of the other officers so as not to adversely affect morale.

He acknowledged her remark with a nod, knowing that they were going to be butting heads for some time to come.

"**Number One**, you have a go. When you're ready take one of the shuttles from the hanger bay…and **Number One **keep a low profile," Picard further warned.

"Yes, Sir," and with that Commanders Riker, Data and Sisko left the conference room and went to prepare for their away mission.

**Author's Notes:** As Always, Read Enjoy and Review.


	3. Chapter 2 First Contact

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: Hope u enjoy this.**

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter Two: First Contact  
**  
After Commanders Riker, Sisko and Data had left the briefing, the others had stayed to discuss some other matters and yet again Captain Picard had dictated what had to be done without considering Captain Garret's opinion. When they were finished the others had filed out of the conference room and left the two Captains alone. Captain Garret slowly got up and stood at the foot of the table opposite Captain Picard, who was still looking over one of the pads Lt. Commander Geordi had left behind.

"Captain Picard," she began icily, "I thought we had discussed this and already come to an agreement and compromise."

Picard looked up in surprise at Garret's cold tone, "Excuse me Captain?"

Her face was impassive not relating to Picard any emotion, except through her voice, "I thought we had agreed to share overall command?" she demanded.

"Yes-" began Picard.

She cut him off. "Then what do you call what you just did? You spent the entire meeting dictating to **_our_** Officers what you wanted done without consulting with me once! I let it pass with the away mission, but afterwards you still continued to ignore my concerns and opinions," she snarled angrily.

Picard sat there silently without an answer. She was right.

"Well, Jean-Luc, do have anything to say about it?" she demanded forcibly.

Picard cleared his throat before answering. This was embarrassing…he hadn't sought out or listened at all. They were all alone in this universe and they needed to stick together here, otherwise they would be lost. "I – I'm sorry Captain, I am just not used to sharing command with anybody," he replied.

Captain Garret relaxed slightly at his heartfelt apology. "Well then you had better get used to it and fast because we're stuck with each other."

Picard nodded in tact acknowledgement of their situation before saying, "You know this is the second time you have admonished me like a cadet, are you going to make a habit of it?"

Garret laughed. "Just as long as you don't force me to."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

The big, dark-skinned, intimidating man that was responsible for the Starfleet marines on the two Enterprises. Commander Benjamin Sisko was piloting the runabout they had taken from the Enterprise-D's docking bay for their away mission. They had detected no transporter capabilities in the scans of surrounding ships and commerce planet. It had been unanimously decided not to show their hand with the transporters.

With him were Commander's Riker and Data along with five of his marines.

Benjamin Sisko was a quiet man of few words. He'd survived numerous encounters and battles with the best the Kilngon Empire had to offer, but some reason this mission made him nervous. No it wasn't this mission; it was the fact that before they had left Guinan had told to be careful of whom he trusted on this planet. He'd had a couple of encounters with her before and he'd seen how Captain Jean-Luc Picard the Captain of the flagship of the United Federation of Planets took her word as fact. This was what was making him so nervous; he felt it deep in his bones-something bad was going to happen on this mission.

Sisko glanced over his shoulder at the other team members; Commander Data was working tirelessly to make adjustments to the Universal Translator. The spaceport authorities had answered them in yet another unknown language when they'd asked for landing coordinates. That was something else that was troubling him, misunderstands could get a person hurt-or worse

Many other things bothered him as well; they were in a strange universe and they couldn't find a way back and this angered him. If they couldn't get back home how could he avenge his murdered family? He was suddenly cut off from what had been the driving force in his life for years and it made it want to lash out at something, anything.

The flight down was uneventful as each member of the away team mused over what they may find down there. As they prepared to disembark, Commander Riker addressed them all and laid down all the rules.

"Remember people; don't attract any attention to yourselves. We're here to find out about this universe in general, Earth, the Peacekeepers and Scarrens in particular. Tuttle and Jackson, you two stay with the runabout and guard it and keep an eye out for anyone suspicious that comes, you got that?" he commanded the two marines. "We'll meet back up here in six hours."

A chorus of 'yes Commander' came from the rest of the away team. Riker gestured for them to get on with their mission. The teams were dressed in civilian clothes so as not to attract attention. They had with them disguised communicators, tricoders, and personal phasers.

With Riker's gesture they spilt up into three teams, Riker with the Vulcan T'vas, Data with the Andorian Theeka, and Sisko with the Trill Larz Dax, Tuttle and Jackson stayed with the runabout as ordered. They sealed themselves in after the rest of the team had dispersed into the city.

As the groups of two moved into the city, they missed the shadowy figure that was watching them all closely from behind one of the starport's loading vehicles. After they had disappeared, he began talking into his Comm.…in Scarren.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A few hours later, found Sisko and Dax in a drinking establishment that catered to many different species. They were sitting in a poorly lit corner of the place, nursing cups of the local ale, so as not to attract attention. Or, at least not any more attention then they already had. There were a lot of stares directed in their direction in the bar.

After separating from the others, the two Starfleet officers had found themselves in a dirty highly industrialized planet in which many different species pursed a variety of pursuits. After only a few minutes it was abundantly clear to them that in the city anything and everything was for sale. One stand held various foodstuffs while the one next to it held an assortment of hand weapons the likes of which they had never seen. That stand had attracted the most attention as they got their first look at the common weaponry of this universe; most of it was pulse-based and needed chakon oil cartridges as the vendor had explained. One weapon in particular had caught Sisko's attention; it was a very impressive looking one that the alien vendor called a hand-held personal frag canon.

During all their explorations however, the aliens around him had acted strangely. Nearly all of them seemed intimidated by him and Dax and those that weren't glared at them angrily. Sisko had seen hostile aliens before; the Klingons were a fine example of that, he thought darkly. But here in this place they didn't have any reason for this hostility. He and Dax had especially gone out of their way to avoid any type of hostility, which included being very polite with all beings they encountered. This had only earned them some disbelieving stares and muttered whispers from many onlookers. But one thing had been constant, all of them refused to speak with them. Except the vendors and they only talked about their wares, no matter what questions, he and Dax asked.

"These people really know how to make a person feel welcome, don't they?" Dax sarcastically joked to Sisko as he looked around the place.

"That they do Dax…that they do," Sisko said. He surveyed those nearest to them they seemed to paying the two Starfleet officers an inordinate amount of attention. "I'm starting to think that coming in here was a mistake," he conceded.

Dax followed Sisko's line of sight looking at the aliens sitting at the table and said, "I'm with you boss," seeing the aliens' increasingly hostile stares.

"I think its time to go," Sisko said rising quickly.

It was too late. The group of aliens had already left their table and walking towards them.

"Going somewhere Peacekeeper?" snarled one of the ugly skeletal white-faced aliens with canine features in black body armor.

'_Peacekeeper?' _"Excuse me?" replied Sisko cautiously; he stepped forward, obscuring their view of where Dax was still sitting.

The lead alien snorted and said, "These Peacekeeper spies keep getting dumber every time." His two cronies laughed.

Sisko did not like where this was going. Who were these beings anyway?

He opened his mouth to speak, to clarify these creatures' mistake but it was too late the lead one was going for the weapon at his side.

Sisko leaped to the side and the creatures turned to track his movements, having momentarily forgotten about Dax. They remembered him real quick when a phaser blast struck the first alien knocking him senseless and into the one behind him.

The third unengaged alien turned his focus on Dax. But before he could shoot, Sisko stunned him as Dax stunned the entangled one who had been just starting to get free.

The bar froze as Sisko rose up to his feet once more; he surveyed the room and put on his best intimidation face, "Nobody else needs to get hurt here…" he said as he held his phaser in front of him, at the ready.

The occupants of bar all seemed to gulp slowly as they returned Sisko's stare. He glanced at Dax and gestured towards the door with his head. They both then slowly walked out of the bar and back onto the street. Sisko took the lead intending to get back to the runabout as fast as humanly possible.

Sisko touched his communicator, "Sisko to Riker! Commander, we've been attacked by unknown hostiles," Sisko reported Riker.

He waited a long time for an answer he didn't get one.

"Commander Riker?" he called again.

This time he did get an answer. "I'm a little busy here Ben. Were they canine and wearing black body armor?" asked Riker; in the background he could hear phaser fire.

Sisko exchanged a concerned glance with Dax before answering, "Yes Sir! How did you know?" he asked though he had a sinking suspicion about how the First Officer would answer.

"Because we're pinned down by ten of them!" retorted Riker, "Beam back to Enterprise. I've already informed them of our status-and don't go back to the runabout they've already left," he ordered tensely.

"What about you, Sir?" Sisko wouldn't leave anybody behind, not in their universe and not in this one either.

"We were about to beam out when you called, now contact Data and then get out of here!" Riker screamed.

The link cut out and Sisko contacted Data, relaying to him Riker's orders and their own skirmish.

"We have not been attacked Commander and I have discovered some startling details," Data commented in his calm emotionless voice that never wavered.

"Good, we couldn't get anything here, but get back to Enterprise. We don't have time to talk now."

"Acknowledged Commander," the channel cut out.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Meanwhile back on the Enterprise-D, Captain Picard was fuming in his chair. Ever since Commander Riker's first report of battle had come in he had wondered how the hell this had happened. According to Riker they had done nothing at all to provoke everyone. It was a perplexing and infuriating situation. They had hoped to avoid any sort of conflict. He'd certainly had enough battles to last a lifetime. Two or three even.

He notified Garret immediately after Riker's contact, and both Enterprises had gone to yellow alert shortly afterwards. Both Ships were actively scanning in all directions wary of an ambush

"Captain, we've got a very large vessel coming into the system. Sir, it's coming in fast." Suddenly reported Ensign Wesley Crusher from where he sat at ops "Sir it's heading right for us!"

"On screen," commanded Picard.

The entire bridge gasped in shock.

"Merdé…" gasped Picard in disbelief.

**Author's Notes:** He he, a nice little cliffhanger for all my readers, as always, Read, Enjoy and Review!


	4. Chapter 3 The Scarrens

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: Hope u enjoy this.**

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter Three The Scarrens**

Bearing down on the two Federation starships was a massive, blocky viscous looking warship the likes of which they had never seen or encountered.

At the forefront of the ship was an incomplete sphere with four rectangular structures jutting out of it and curving backwards for several hundred meters.

As one continued backwards, the vessel became thinner and began to taper off until the last third of the warship. There was a large vulnerable looking spherical structure at that junction that was connected to a round barrel that contained the ships engines. The arrival of this humongous warship had stunned them all but Captain Picard quickly overcame his shock, he couldn't freeze, his crew needed him.

"Red Alert! Mr. Yar, tactical analysis!" he ordered urgently in a calm tone as alarms began blaring across the bridge.

Tasha Yar, standing at tactical had been frozen in shock at the sudden appearance of the massive warship, but her captain's calm tone broke her trance and her fingers flew across her tactical console. She scanned the warship bearing down on them and answered her Captain. "Sir, the ship's nearly 4 kilometers long. I'm reading numerous plasma canons all along the hull and several unidentified beam weapons. I'm also reading some missile launchers."

"What type of missiles?" demanded Picard.

Tasha's hands played over her board once, "They're…nuclear sir, just nuclear missiles," she said in disbelief.

Picard turned to look at Tasha, "Nuclear missiles?" he said in surprise, interrupting her report.

Tasha nodded, then continued here analysis. "I'm reading a shield generator but they're not active, and sir they…might not need them, their armor is many times thicker than on any ship we've ever encountered," she paused for a second, "sir I'm reading over 70,000 life forms onboard."

"Seventy thousand?" Picard repeated in disbelief.

"Yes, Sir."

Picard thought about what their options were and gave into some of Garret's suggestions. "Notify Captain Garret that we will attempt to open a peaceful dialog."

"Aye, Sir."

At this moment Commanders Riker and Data walked out and moved to take their normal positions on the bridge. Commander Riker missed a step when he caught sight of the colossal alien warship. He caught Picard's eye and gave him a speculative look while raising his eyebrow in question of what he had missed.

"Welcome back, Number One. We're going to try to talk to them," he explained, his opinion of the matter clear in his tone. He doubted that the ship was anything but hostile.

Picard turned back to the view screen and said, "Open hailing frequencies. This is Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the battleship _Enterprise_-" he began peacefully.

The alien warship's commander harsh guttural commands cut off Captain Picard. "**_Surrender, or die Peacekeepers!_**"

Picard and Riker shared a surprised look. They weren't surprised that the ship had turned out to be hostile; they were surprised that the aliens had called them Peacekeepers. Weren't the Peacekeepers the species that the Scarren Empire was hostile towards? This undoubtedly meant that this gargantuan vessel was operated by the Scarren Empire…but why would they mistake the Enterprise for a Peacekeeper ship?

"Sir they're charging weapons and targeting us and the Enterprise-C…I've got an energy spike!" cried Tasha in alarm.

"Evasive maneuvers Picard-delta one!" Picard cried out in response as he sat down in his seat.

The alien ship opened fire on the two Enterprises with a torrent of plasma and pulse blasts. Each starship was hit with multiple blasts that caused their shields to glow. Both ships shuddered as they were hit before taking evasive maneuvers.

"Damage?" Picard demanded of Tasha.

"Shields down to 90, no other damage…Sir they're launching small fighters of some sort. I've got four squadrons on scanners, half heading for us and the rest are heading for the Enterprise-C."

"Target phasers as they come into range and fire at will. Data Evasive maneuvers Picard-alpha one, move us away from the hostile ship," he commanded.

Tasha targeted the fighters as the come into range. The fighters came screaming after the Enterprise firing continuously as the Enterprise began dodging the second and third salvos fired by the colossal warship. Singularly their blasts had little effect and the pilots were not used to working together to attack a cruiser, usually they were only used against other fighters or freighters.

Though their fire was ineffectual, the Enterprise's wasn't. With each phaser blast, a fighter was wiped from existence. No matter how a fighter dodged or maneuvered the phasers found their target and soon all the fighters were gone.

After all the fighters were destroyed Picard tried to open communications with the hostile alien vessel. "I repeat, this is Jean-Luc Picard of the warship Enterprise. We are not hostile, but we will defend ourselves!"

He didn't have to wait long for the response. "**_You will surrender your vessels Peacekeeper to this dreadnaught, or I will ensure that your entire crew face the Living Death!_**" as the alien commander finished his demand, his ship opened fire with yet another salvo, only this time it all went wide because the gunners could not accurately fire on targets moving as fast as the two Enterprises were.

Picard shared a strained look with his First Officer before speaking again, "If you do not stop we will be forced to destroy you."

The dreadnaught continued to fire ignoring Picard's warning.

Now Picard was angry, "Attack pattern omega, phasers only Mr. Yar."

The Enterprise turned in space and headed back towards the dreadnaught, gracefully dodging all plasma and pulse blasts that were fired in its direction. When they were in range it fired multiple blasts that scarred the nose of the dreadnaught but did little else, their shields still were not active.

Picard frowned, "Data do you see any weaknesses we can exploit?"

Data worked quickly at his console scanning the dreadnaught for any weaknesses, "Yes sir, the second sphere at the back of the ship is a reactor. I believe a spread of photon torpedoes should do the trick, Sir."

Picard didn't have to thick about his choices for long. "Mr. Data send the coordinates to tactical and Mr. Yar, target and fire when ready," Picard grimly ordered.

Meanwhile on board the Scarren dreadnaught, the Commander was infuriated and his blood was boiling. These two new peacekeeper ships had annihilated his fighters within several microts and now this Peacekeeper had the audacity to threaten to destroy his dreadnaught with only two small ships, one barely the size of a Leviathan?

Impossible!

"Commander!" cried out his sensor officer cutting into his musing.

"What is it?" the Scarren Commander demanded angrily.

His sensor officer could only point in disbelief at the three glowing orbs that the Peacekeepers had fired at his ship, moving insanely fast. The commander opened his mouth to speak but it was too late, the glowing orbs curved around his ship and stuck the exposed reactor on the underbelly of the dreadnaught milliseconds apart.

The combined might, melted the armor, and overloaded the reactor. The reactor exploded spectacularly, taking the rest of the ship with it. The Scarren Commander only felt a wave of heat pass over him before darkness claimed his mind.

The bridge crew on the Enterprise-C looked on in disbelief and Captain Rachael Garret felt a hollow pit in her stomach trying to consume her. After the away teams had been attacked she had expected trouble but Captain Picard had wiped out seventy thousand people without blinking.

Had Starfleet captains become that callus in the future? If they had this did bode well for the future of the Federation if they somehow managed to defeat the Klingons. They'd only been in this dimension for a few days and already they had been responsible for the deaths of seventy thousand sentients. Seventy thousand that would still be alive if they had stayed in their own dimension. She knew that they had now made an enemy of the Scarren Empire.

She found her voice quickly, "Mr. Castillo find us an isolated location away form here then contact the Enterprise and tell them to join us here. The entire system just witnessed this battle and I'm guessing that reinforcements will be on their way here in a few moments. We do not want to be here when they arrive," she commanded.

"Yes, Ma'am."

Mr. Castillo quickly checked the areas that they had scanned previously and found a suitable spot before relaying the coordinates to their sister ship and then leaving.

Giving all the other ships in the area to watch in disbelief as the two ships disappeared one after the other from their sensors with a flash.

Two hours later they were in an isolated system the members of the away team were gathered in the Enterprise-D's conference room along with Captain Garret to discuss how matters had gotten so out of control in such a short time.

"I did warn you about this universe's penchant for chaos," said Guinan dryly. "Though I think I may have understated it."

Picard listened to Guinan before turning to Riker and demanding irritably, "Number one what the devil happened on the planet?"

"I don't know Sir. One minute we were walking through the market place peacefully and then these white faced canines ambushed us, they didn't even ask for our surrender before opening fire," Riker explained.

Picard didn't like his answer and it showed on his face in a sour grimace. He turned to Sisko, "Did the same happen to you?"

"Yes sir, except we were in a bar," Sisko added.

"A bar?" asked Garret pointedly, "What were you doing in a bar?"

Sisko turned to her and said, "Some of the best information brokers can usually be found in bars," he explained simply.

Garrett subsided and Picard turned to Data. "What about you, Commander? You weren't attacked but you did find something," the last part a statement, not a question. They had too many, much too many question and Picard would settle for Data to answer one.

"Yes, Sir. I believe I know the reason for the attacks. We were mistaken for Peacekeeper spies trying to enter the Scarren Empire," Data explained emotionlessly.

"We know that Commander, but why did they mistake us for them in the first place?" Garret questioned.

"Apparently, ma'am, in this area of space most species can be visually differentiated therefore they saw the members of our away team and mistook them for Peacekeepers. Myself and Lt. Theeka look sufficiently different not to be mistaken as such."

Groans came form all across the conference room as they realized how simple a mistake had been made by the Scarrens. It was so innocent and silly and yet seventy thousand people had died because of it.

Picard felt his headache get worse, this was an unexpected complication. "Did you find out anything else?" he had hoped for an answer and he had gotten one, just not one he liked or wanted.

"Yes Sir, I did manage to get a relatively accurate map for this area of space."

"And?"

"I believe with a little work I will be able to pin-point our location in this galaxy and eventually Earth's as well," said Data optimistically.

The people in the room cheered up considerably at Data's last proclamation.

"That's good to know mister Data. I'll expect progress reports form you as soon as possible," commanded Picard.

"Captain to the bridge!" came over Picard's combadge.

"Picard here. What's the problem?"

"Sir, we've detected a transwarp conduit opening off our starboard bow…there's a ship coming through!"

I'll be there monetarily, Picard said as he rose from his chair. "Captain Garret, if you'll join me on the bridge."

She nodded and they quickly made their way to the bridge.

"Status report, Mr. Yar," commanded Picard as he walked onto the bridge form the turbolift.

Tasha Yar turned to the Captain with an incredulous look on her face, "The ship, Captain…it's registering as one massive lifeform. It's alive!" she said breathlessly.

Picard and Garret were taken aback by Tasha's report; this was unexpected to say the least.

"Organic?" asked Garret in curiosity and wonder.

"Biomechanical, Ma'am."

"Is it hostile?" demanded Picard irritably; he didn't want any more surprises to bother them.

"The creature's unarmed Sir, no weapons of any kind though it does have shields," answered Tasha quickly.

Picard visibly relaxed, he had did not want to kill any more people today.

Data, who had taken over the science station after Tasha had relayed to them the nature of the ship, spoke up. "Sir I'm also able to discern eight life forms inside the ship and Sir, one of who is human."

Silence descended on the bridge, you could have heard a pin needle drop, slowly Picard asked, "Are you sure, Commander?"

"One hundred percent, Sir," replied Data.

Picard shared a hopeful glance with Garret and then said, "Open a channel. Contact that vessel or creature, whatever it is."

They didn't have to wait long for an answer, but it wasn't what they expected…and it was in a sarcastic southern drawl, "Hey Pilot have you sent the 'don't shoot we're pathetic' message yet?"

**Author's Notes:** He he, yet another nice little cliffhanger for all my readers, as always, Read, Enjoy and Review!


	5. Chapter 4 Yeah right, pull the other one

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: Hope u enjoy this.**

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter Four Yeah right, pull the other one.**

John Crichton stood in Command waiting for them to come out of Starburst; this was supposed to be the final Starburst before they took Lo'lan and left for Katratzi, to rescue Scorpius from the Scarrens.

_To Rescue Scorpius from the Scarrens._

_**To Rescue Scorpius!**_

"Man, that sounds so frelled up, no matter how many times I say it…" John Crichton said to himself.

"What John?" asked Aeryn, looking up from the pulse pistol she was cleaning in preparation for the upcoming unexpected rescue mission.

"Aeryn, we're going to rescue Scorpius," John stated shaking his head, it still didn't sound right.

Aeryn frowned, "And?" she asked in confusion.

"Aeryn. WE are going to rescue Scorpius from the Scarrens," John repeated.

"What's your point?" Aeryn asked still not understanding his point.

"Sunshine, there are so many things wrong with that sentence…I don't know where to begin!" John said exasperated that Aeryn was missing the point.

Aeryn shook her head, "We're not going to rescue _him_. We're going to stop your wormhole knowledge from falling into Scarren hands."

"So the rescue is just an unwanted byproduct, huh?" said John with a snort of derision.

Aeryn gave him a weak smile, "Unfortunately so," he may have saved her life earlier that year, but his neural clone had taken it several years before. If it hadn't been for Zhaan, she'd have stayed dead. As far as Aeryn was concerned they still weren't even. She finished cleaning her pistol and continued speaking, "I'm going to see if the others need any help." She stopped by him and gave him a kiss before leaving Command.

Once John was alone in Command, he thought to himself, the next few days were going to be very weird.

With a sudden lurch Moya came out of Starburst. The stars reappeared in Command as they reentered normal space.

There were two of whitest cleanest ships that John had ever seen. They were also had the weirdest curves that John had ever seen on a non-organic ship. One was smaller than the other and the big one was Moya's size. They both had large saucer sections that tapered into a narrow long neck-like section that extended behind them with two strange long glowing protrusions extending parallel to the main neck like section, but most worrying of all was that they were now directly in Moya's path, as if waiting for her…and them!

"Pilot! Starburst now, get us out of here!" shouted John urgently.

"Commander must I remind you that Moya requires time before she can Starburst again!" came Pilot's immediate response, with an edge of panic it.

John shut up and waited for the two ships to send the inevitable surrender or we will blast you into oblivion message that people so like to use in the Uncharted Territories.

It didn't come-which John took as a good sign, he opened his mouth to talk to Pilot again, "Hey Pilot have you sent the 'don't shoot we're pathetic' message yet?"

"Uh, that won't be necessary, I am Captain Jean-Luc Picard of the Federation warship _Enterprise_, we have no hostile intentions towards you," came a deep male authoritarian voice that John didn't know.

_What the frell? Jean-Luc? Enterprise? Okay so the weirdness was starting early today with an extra topping of unbelievable and impossible._

Human names someone was trying to mess with him…again. As always John Crichton took the direct road, "Ha ha, very funny but the human name gives it all away. I may always walk into traps headfirst but even I'm not dumb enough to fall for this-let's start again. Who the frell are you?" John asked irately he was not in the mood for a mind-frell.

The voice came again, the man seemed taken aback at John's reaction, "Excuse me?"

"Cut out the human act, who the frell are you? And who sent you? I'm not in the mood for any games!" continued John, as if it wasn't enough that he was going to save Scorpius, (it still sounded weird and disturbing no matter what Aeryn said) and now someone wanted to screw with him. Today of all days! It was just too much.

"I can assure you, we are who we say we are, nobody sent us," assured Picard.

"Are you claiming to be human?" asked John suddenly.

"Yes, in fact a large percentage of my crew are-" Picard started to answer.

John cut him off, "Well there's your first mistake, boyo, Earth is a little backwater planet and humanity ain't got no shiny nice ships like yours, no Star Destroyers or Battlestars, nada…" his tone dripped with sarcasm, "hell the only reason I'm out here is a freaking accident."

"Ah, I see your confusion. To clarify we are not from this dimension, we were in the middle a firefight if you will, when our ships were caught up in a subspace temporal distortion, in one of the micro-fractures to be exact, that ripped apart our quantum structures and reconfigured them and stranded us in this dimension and time," said Picard placatingly then paused before adding, "we're lost and searching for a way home…we were hoping you could help us."

John stopped for a second before retorting, "So you're what? From another dimension _and_ from the future?" he chuckled and shook his head, "I'll give you points for the story, this is the most original bunch of dren that I've heard yet. Not to mention the sympathy card for the whole 'I'm lost can you help me?' shitich," the last part was said in John's best impression of a little girl.

Silence descended, as Picard didn't have an answer to all of John's accusations until Pilot broke into the conversation, "Commander, I've got the visual working and I've notified the others of the situation."

A holographic display lit up on Command and John got his first look at the man he had been talking to. He was a middle aged bald Sebacean male with cold eyes clouded with confusion. He radiated charisma. He was wearing a strange pajama like uniform with a metal insignia over the left breast.

Standing next to him were two people, one was a taller bearded man in the same uniform while the other was middle aged woman in a different uniform. This one was predominantly red but had the same insignia as the others. All three wore expressions of confusion.

John took in the rest of the sight in front of him, they were standing in a dark ominous-looking command center. John could see various Sebacean crew members working around the central three. At the forefront of the image were two others sitting at consoles at both sides of the hologram, one barely looked out of his teens but the other was most clearly not Sebacean. He had gold hued skin and unblinking golden eyes.

Between what John was seeing and Picard's attitude, he came to conclusion about who was behind this. The bald man John assumed to be Picard opened his mouth to say something but John cut him off, "Listen baldy, I've figured out your game, so why don't you go back and tell Commandant Cleavage, that she's not going to get her claws into me a second time-once was more than enough!" he said vehemently.

If anything they looked more confused now (and Picard looked a little ticked off about being called baldy), that caused John to begin to have doubts, usually the trap would have been sprung by now, so either they were even stupider than they appeared or else…they telling the truth.

The female spoke up after a short pause, "Look I don't know who you believe us to be, but we are telling you the truth," she said fiercely, "Ever since we arrived in this dimension people have been mistaking us for something we are not! At least have the curtsey to allow us to prove who we are," she then demanded steadfastly.

"Aggressive thing ain't you? You want to prove yourself-fine. You can come over. Just you and one other, and that's none negotiable…and no weapons as well!" he laid down the terms in an uncompromising tone.

"As you wish we will be there shortly," the woman said quickly before Picard could demand anything and antagonize John more.

"Sure sweetheart, whatever you say," John closed the channel.

Aeryn and Dargo rushed onto Command just after John had finished the conversation.

John turned to look at them and said softly, "You missed it."

"What happened?" Aeryn demanded.

"Some new guys trying to be smart" was John's succinct reply.

"And what happened?" demanded Dargo.

John shrugged, "We got company coming guys, break out the welcome mat…and the heavy artillery," John quipped humorlessly.

**Author's Notes:** Hope you like this chapter, Sorry for the delay and as always Read, Enjoy and Review!


	6. Chapter 5 They're Human!

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: Hope u enjoy this.**

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter Five They're Human**

"You're not actually going to go over there unarmed are you?" demanded Captain Picard of Captain Garret as they walked down the hall leading to Enterprise's shuttle bay.

"Of course I am! Hopefully with this gesture, I'll be able to find us some answers," Garret retorted forcefully.

"This human is remarkably hostile and we have done nothing to provoke him! At least take some sort of concealed weapon with you!" Picard argued.

"No. We cannot afford to antagonize him, and if anything happens, I'll just have you beam myself and Commander Sisko out," Garret said pointing out the easy solution to the problem.

Picard looked askance at Garret, but he didn't say anything he didn't need to, she was right about one thing-they needed answers, and fast.

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"Are you sure about this John?" Dargo asked skeptically

"Look D, either this is the stupidest mind frell yet or these guys are for real," John said with a sigh.

"And you're hoping for what?" asked Aeryn.

John took a deep breath and then expelled it rapidly, "I'm not sure actually…at this point it could go either way," he said nonchalantly.

"And if they are who they say they are?" Aeryn asked.

"Well then this day is going to be one fort he record books," John quipped

"And if they aren't?" Dargo said menacingly.

"Then…we whoop some ass then go rescue Scorpy from the Scarrens," John blinked, he turned to Dargo, "That sounds frelled up right, D?"

Dargo nodded sympathetically, "Yeah, pretty much John."

John shook himself and said, "Everyone got their welcome mat ready?" he said as he hefted wynona in his hand.

Dargo pulled out his Quatla blade and nodded.

Aeryn hefted the hand held frag canon she had and indicated her readiness with a nod.

"Then lets go welcome our guests…"

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Commander Sisko sat at the controls of the shuttle as he guided it towards the biomechanical ship.

"She's a beauty isn't she?" commented Captain Garret from where she sat at the navigational console.

Sisko gazed at the alien ship, the lustrous organic curves, that seemed so natural and the shining deep blue colour, "That she is Captain," he replied. He paused a second before saying, "Captain I have to say I don't like this situation ma'am."

"Duly noted commander, but at this junction we don't have a great deal of choice in the matter. This man is the only human we have encountered in this dimension, he is our only link to Earth and anything that resembles home, we're going to have to humor him for now," Garret said grimly, "Just keep your eyes open once we're there Commander."

"Yes, ma'am," Sisko put his misgivings aside and focused on piloting the shuttle.

A few minutes later, Commander Sisko was bringing the shuttle in for landing. As they had entered the biomechanical ship's docking bay they had seen several other vessels there. One of them in particular had sparked Sisko's interest. Off to one side had been a ship almost half again as large shuttle sized, he'd scanned it quickly the sensors had registered quite a bit of power, by Federation standards, for something that small. The other ships had included a couple of blocky transports and a couple of rather unimpressive one-man ships.

Sisko and Garret exited the shuttle and stood in the cavernous bay looking at the inside of the ship. To Sisko the sides actually looked and reminded him of the ribs of some type of large marine animal.

Garret looked around them and didn't see anybody waiting for them, "Hello? Anybody there?" she called out into the supposedly empty bay, her voice echoing.

"Nice and easy!" came the same hostile southern drawl from behind them.

They turned around slowly, "We're unarmed," Garret said and she raised her arms in emphasis of her point.

They came face to face with the human…and he wasn't standing there alone.

The man was standing there along with three others, all of them were armed and pointing their weapons at her and Sisko.

Sisko and Garret froze taking in the hostile and curious looks that were pointed their way.

Sisko took a moment to survey the people in front if him. The most striking one was a tall menacing alien wearing long red robes, who had a scowl on his face with tentacles and red hair draping down his shoulders. He was holding an unwavering strange golden sword-like rifle in his arms. Next to him was an apparently human woman in black leather with a neutral, if cold expression on her face whose whole attitude practically screamed professional soldier; she had a shoulder strap helping her hold up a very large and impressive looking canon of some sort that was also unwavering. There was a shorter gray female also in black leather carrying a black rifle standing next to them scrutinizing Sisko and Garret.

Finally Sisko's gaze came to the human man that was so hostile. He was tall with a muscular build and dirty blonde hair. He was also wearing a black leather duster and black leather pants and a black t-shirt. Sisko was sensing a theme here. He was pointing a black pistol at Sisko. But most startling of all were the man's cold pale blue eyes that shone with a light Sisko had seen before…_Insanity_.

Garret considered her words before introducing herself, there was no reason to go into the vulgarities of temporal mechanics and explain why there were two enterprises, yet, "I am Captain Racheal Garret of the Federation starship Ambassador." "We're come unarmed as you requested," Garret said clearly to the man, who shifted his aim to point at her with his pistol.

Sisko braced himself; he hoped that captain Garret had noticed the unstable glint in the man's eyes.

"Nice to meet you captain, what about your friend?" he added gesturing at Sisko with his pistol.

"This is Commander Benjamin Sisko…he is also unarmed as requested. We are here alone," she clarified.

"Yeah well you'll forgive us if we have to check for ourselves," the man said sarcastically, "1812!" the man called out suddenly.

Garret frowned, _1812?_

A soft whirring noise heralded the arrival of a small round robot of some type the Starfleeters had never seen.

"1812, check 'em," the man said gruffly.

The little robot moved towards the Starfleet officers and extended a small hand. It moved the hand a couple of times over them before twitting at the man.

"Okay, so you're clean. That's one point in your favor," the man said in surprise. Neither he nor his companions relaxed an inch in spite of the confirmation.

"Well then I don't suppose you could introduce yourself now?" Garret asked simply, hoping for the best.

The man began shaking his pistol, "Nope, it doesn't work like that sister. That's just one point; you've got a few thousand against you so far…now we go to-Grandma! Not now!"

The sudden entrance of an old three-eyed woman interrupted the man's words. The woman proceeded to walk towards Garret and smile. She opened her mouth and an unintelligent group of sounds came out of her voice. She waited expectantly in front of Garret.

"I'm sorry I didn't understand a word you said," started Garret calmly.

The three-eyed woman frowned at her and looked at her and then said something else.

"I'm sorry I still don't understand," Garret said helplessly.

The woman frowned again and turned to look at Sisko. She opened her mouth to say something then froze. Her two of her eyes went wide with apparent surprise and the third one in her forehead glowed bright blue. She closed her mouth then stepped back from Sisko as if afraid. She then bolted out of the docking bay and was out of sight remarkably fast for a woman her apparent age.

They all looked in the direction she had disappeared before glanced amongst themselves.

The human man shared a look with the human woman and said, "Okay, that was crazy even for grandma…"

The woman just shrugged helplessly in response. The tall menacing one muttered something in another language and the woman nodded.

"Well, okay now, back to our regularly scheduled program, let's get down to the medical bay," the man said

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The walk to the medical bay was short and quiet. No matter how many times Captain Garret attempted to open a dialogue with the human would rebuff her attempts and the language barrier prevented her from talking to any of the others.

_Though_, Sisko mused, _I doubt they will be any more forthcoming._ They looked just as hostile as the human.

They were met in the medical by another alien; this one was a female with long red hair…who spoke English and the hostile man called her Sputnik. Why would someone call her after an ancient Russian space probe?

The female then proceeded to insult them, the hostile human, and the other aliens before taking DNA samples.

They were waiting now for the results and Sisko could have cut the tension with a knife. The aliens were all gathered at one side weapons still pointed at the Federation officers.

"They're human…" the alien 'Sputnik' said in disbelief.

"What!" shouted the hostile man, "That's impossible they can't be humans!"

The dark haired human female said something in her language to Sputnik.

"I have checked my results-I've checked them three times! The scanner says these two are what they say they are!" Sputnik shouted back while pointing at Sisko and Garret.

A strange expression came onto the hostile man's face and he turned to face Garret, who was smiling in a soothing manner, "You see we are human."

The gray female said something to Sputnik.

"Fine then! You come do my work!" Sputnik said in a huff before storming off in a huff.

The man just continued to stare at her as if she was some sort of strange creature standing before him and speaking a foreign language.

The human continued to stare and stare at Garret until she started to shift nervously under his relentless stare.

Garret cleared her throat and said, "As I said before I am Captain Rachael Garret. We mean you no harm. We are lost and trying to find a way back to our home."

"Yeah and what's that got to do with us?" the man demanded irritably.

"We have been in this dimension and time frame for several weeks now and in all that time we have found nothing familiar in this universe…except you," replied Garret seriously.

The man just looked at her skeptically before snorting in disgust, "Well Johnny boy you're still the man everyone wants," he said to himself.

Garret ignored the remark and said, "Will you help us?"

The man holstered his pistol before answering, in an insolent tone, "Love to doll face, but I got to go stop my knowledge from coming out of grasshopper's mouth."

_He had to do what! Stop what from coming out of who's mouth?_

As far as Sisko was concerned this just reinforced his previous assessment of the man. The man was truly insane; though why these aliens didn't see it he didn't know.

"Do you realize how insane that sounds?" Sisko said.

The man, Johnny by his own admission, turned to stare at Sisko, "So it talks huh? I thought doll face over here just brought you along to look all intimidating, heh," Johnny quipped sarcastically.

Garret just couldn't believe what she was hearing; didn't this human hear what he was saying?

Sisko narrowed his eyes in disbelief and annoyance, "We have introduced ourselves and been remarkably cordial in spite of your hostility, and you have yet to introduce yourself."

Johnny stared at for a few moments before answering, "I'm Fate's whipping boy and pincushion of Scarren-Sebacean hybrids; Commander John Crichton of IASA." The man pointed with his thumb at the tentacled alien, "the tall dark and intimidating Luxan over there is Ka Dargo, the gray Nebari girl next to him is Chiana" flicked his thumb at the apparently human female, "and the gal with the hand held pulse cannon is my girl, Officer Aeryn Sun, formerly of the Peacekeepers-or as I like to call them your friendly neighborhood Space Nazis."

The man's sarcastic tirade of an introduction raised so many questions that neither Sisko nor Garret knew where to begin, though or rather especially his last comment about Space Nazis. That had stated some rather disturbing suspicions and thoughts churning through Garret's mind. If Commander Crichton's words were accurate and the Peacekeepers were 'Space Nazis' as he put it did that mean that the Scarrens were simply put, the 'good guys'?

Apparently Sisko had had the same thought, "What about the Scarrens? How would you describe them?"

The change of topic didn't disturb Crichton; he shrugged nonchalantly, "Them? They're worse." He frowned, "Why are you asking?"

Garret exchanged a glance with Sisko before answering; "Well you see we had a run in with one of their warships a short while ago-"

Crichton cut in, "And barely got away, yeah I get the ide-"

"No! We did not just get away. Captain Picard destroyed the warship," corrected Sisko coldly.

"What!" shouted Crichton in surprise. The Ka Dargo and Officer Sun also expressed their disbelief in their own languages.

Officer Sun then insistently demanded something of them, but they couldn't understand her.

Garret shook her head, "I'm sorry. I don't know your language."

Officer Sun looked irritated and said something aloud.

Crichton looked at her and said, "Sunshine I don't think that's such a good idea-you know how we humans get when aliens want to poke holes in us."

Poke holes in us? Thought Garret in alarm.

Officer Sun just barked something incomprehensible at Crichton and he just shrugged, "Fine have it your way."

Sisko and Garret exchanged alarmed glances. Garret opened her mouth to say something but a sharp pain in her foot stooped. She jumped back to find another of the small robots similar to the one called 1812 holding a needle that had had been inserted into her foot looking up at her. The little robot wheeled away from her and quickly injected Sisko before he could react.

Garret whirled around to face Crichton and Officer Sun, "what have you done!" she demanded angrily. She could put up with extreme rudeness but not someone injecting her with some unknown substance!

Crichton smirked at Officer Sun and said, "This is ones all yours," he took a step away from her.

Garret looked at Officer Sun, "Well? What have you done?" she demanded even though she knew she wouldn't understand the answer.

"Dhjsdjksdk-drds inject you with translator microbes," was Officer Sun's succinct answer.

Garret's eyes widened with surprise, "Translator microbes?" she managed to say.

"They're microbes that colonize the base of the brain stem and allow you to understand most of the languages in Peacekeeper space," Officer Sun explained offhandedly.

_They what!_ Garret instinctively reached back and felt the back of her neck; she exchanged a glance with Sisko who was also rubbing the back of his neck. She turned back to Officer Sun and said, "I presume that there are no ill effects to this?"

Officer Sun shook her head in the negative.

Garret's anger dissipated in light of the fact of the barriers that had been removed by this action, "Well…next time I would appreciate it if you warn me first before doing something like this again." She could see the others watching this interaction with a hint of amusement in their eyes.

"Okay then. What kind of warship was it?" Officer Sun demanded.

"I don't know," answered Garret truthfully, "but it was big-almost four klicks in length."

Four klicks? Thought Aeryn, if she remembered right that was almost four thousand metras long-she froze, "You took out a Scarren Dreadnaught!" she demanded in disbelief and shock.

The other inhabitants of the biomechanical ship stared at the Federation officers in disbelief and shock.

Garret paused, "I'm not sure, as you can guess we're not familiar with the different classes of Scarren warships," was her simple answer.

They all stood there in varying degrees of shock and awe.

Garret took the initiative and asked, "Could you now answer some of my questions?"

Crichton nodded in shock, still trying to imagine how two ships as miniscule as the Ambassador and Enterprise could take out a behemoth as a Scarren Dreadnaught.

"What year is it now?" she asked.

"Uh, its 2003 almost 2004-I think, I lost count after we left Earth," answered Crichton nonchalantly.

Garret's jaw dropped in surprise, 2003? They'd gone back in time over four centauries? Wait a sec what the hell is a twenty first-centuary man doing this far from Earth! Earth should still be recovering from the Eugenics War and World War Three!

Sisko hid his surprise better though he was just as flabbergasted as Garret. Neither one of them had imagined that they'd gone that far back in time.

Garret managed to find her voice, "Wh-Where's Earth?"

Crichton's head snapped towards her so fast she thought that they might have to name a new warp speed factor after him.

"No way doll face, I don't give out earth's location out to anybody I've just met," he said, "No way no how, not going to happen."

Garret opened her mouth to speak again but Crichton stopped her, "Look this all very nice and all that but we're on a limited schedule here. Time is not on our side now-"

"Since when has it been on our side?" Chiana quipped sarcastically.

Crichton glared at her and continued on, "We've got a date on Katratzi that we can't keep waiting, so how about we show you to your shuttle and you go home so we can leave and get to our date?"

Garret looked at them alarmed, "You can't leave we have so many more questions-you're the only familiar thing we've encountered in this dimension."

"Well doll face that's tough we have to go, the more we stay and talk to you the more time the Scarrens have to torture the my knowledge out of Scorpy! And trust me you so do not want that to happen!" retorted Crichton, "You can talk to us when-"

"If," cut in Dargo.

Crichton turned to glare at him, "When. When we get back."

Garret felt a coldness spread across her stomach and reached up and clenched her heart, she understood now why they were in such a hurry and so hostile. She was keeping them from going to rescue their friend from the Scarrens.

"Wait perhaps we could aid you in the rescue? We do have three thousand Starfleet Marines available to us," she said enthusiastically.

Crichton blinked, did she say what he thought he she just said? He shared a glance with Aeryn, a frontal attack on Katratzi would be suicide even for them and with that many troops, "Doll face let me explain something to you, Katratzi is the single most heavily defended fortress in the Scarren Empire-it is know as the Scarren seat of Power. A frontal attack would be outright suicide!"

"Not to mention farbot!" added Chiana sarcastically.

A stray thought struck Crichton, he ignored her and said to Garret, "You want to prove you're trustworthy, fine. Three thousand are too many, but Mr. Intimidation over there and a couple of others to help us would be fine and dandy."

Garret looked Sisko, who reluctantly nodded okay to her unasked question, "Done, give us few minutes and I'll have it all set up."

"You've got one hundred microts doll face," countered Crichton.

Garret looked at him in confusion and Crichton realized his mistake, "Uh…that's five minutes," he explained sheepishly to her.

**Author's Notes:** Hope you like this chapter, Sorry for the delay and as always Read, Enjoy and Review!


	7. Chapter 6 Point of View

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: **Hope u enjoy this.

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter Six Point of View**

In the Scarren fortress of Katratzi, Emperor Staleek, resplendent in his finest sat in on his throne. He hid his fear well as War Minister Ahkna played the recording taken of a skirmish one of their dreadnaughts had been in, for the third time. The recording showed the dreadnaught engaging two minuscule Peacekeeper ships of unknown types. The Peacekeeper ships moved with a startling grace he hadn't see any ship equal except perhaps by Leviathans, and even then not at the speeds seen and recorded here. The two ships proceeded to use an unknown particle beam at first before firing only three missiles that moved at near light speed. They reduced the dreadnaught to its molecular constituents. In all, the engagement, the Emperor snorted, the fast skirmish, had lasted all of mere microts.

_Microts, for frell's sake!_ screamed Staleek's mind in disbelief. The most powerful class of warship in the Scarren Empire wiped from existence in microts, by two small Peacekeeper vessels! It was unthinkable! And Unbelievable! And yet it had occurred! "Enough, turn it off," he ordered gruffly before Ahkna could play it again. Three times was more than enough for his tastes. Commandant Grayza was coming to Katratzi, in every communiqué she sounded so sure of herself; was this why? Did they have entire fleets of these new vessels hidden away? Another very disturbing thought came to him, she was so sure of herself, did that mean that she and the Peacekeepers truly had Wormhole weapons, as well? This could spell the end of the Scarren Empire! Of the entire Scarren people!

War Minister Ahkna opened her mouth and said, "We must retaliate now! This boldness of there's must not be allowed to pass unanswered!" she said arrogantly.

"Be silent!" he shouted at her, his mind was racing through the probabilities of this situation, "Leave me now, and allow me to think…and do not mention what has happened to anyone!" he commanded vehemently.

Commandant Grayza's reasons for coming to Katratzi were becoming darker by the microt.

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Onboard Commandant Grayza's Command Carrier, which was heading towards Katratzi, Commandant Grayza was relaxing in the bath in her utilitarian and functionally decorated quarters, mentally preparing herself for the coming meeting with the Scarrens.

"Ma'am, I think you'll want to see this," said Captain Braca to Commandant Grayza as he interrupting her bath.

Grayza's eyes flew open and she found Braca standing at the foot of her bath at attention, eyes in respectfully looking upwards.

"What is it, captain? Did I not tell you not to interrupt me except when we arrived at Katratzi?" she demanded irritably.

"Yes ma'am, but our spies on the Scarren border have relayed to us some disturbing footage," Braca replied seriously.

Grayza frowned, "Show me," she said impatiently.

Braca placed a holographic projector on the edge of the bath and activated it. The device Literature up and began to project a fuzzy image. The image quickly resolved itself into that of a Scarren Dreadnaught. The dreadnaught proceeded to open fire and launch fighters at two small white-gray ships.

What happened next made Grayza sit up in attention and draw closer to the projector.

The ships absorbed the dreadnaughts initial fire with ease and then started to move at impossible speeds while at the same time opening fire on the fighters, quickly destroying them. The larger vessel then had the audacity to strike at the dreadnaught itself, Grayza mused, thinking that the bigger ship had bitten off more than it could chew. Instead she watched in muted horror as the ship proceeded to fire red missiles of some sort that vaporized the dreadnaught in microts. The ships then left the system by some type of non-Hetch FTL drive in a flash of white light. The recording ended and Grayza turned on Braca predatorily. "Whom do these ships belong to?" she demanded.

"Apparently ma'am…us," Braca replied.

"WHAT?" she screamed at him drawing herself up to her full height and ignoring her nakedness, water dripping from her body.

Braca eyes flickered over her bare body and swallowed, "Our spies say that these ships sent down shuttles to a nearby Commerce planet. Our spies positively Identified the occupants as Sebacean, ma'am," he replied hesitantly, stressing that it was the spies that were saying these unknown ships belonged to the Peacekeepers. "But…"

"But what, Captain Braca?" she demanded irritably as he mind went over the possibility that someone in Peacekeeper Command could have built advanced warships without her knowledge.

"Ma'am there was writing on the hulls of the ship and…I recognize it ma'am, I've seen it before," he replied hesitantly.

She frowned at Braca and took a moment to look him over. She noticed that he seemed to be trembling slightly, "Well captain, where have you seen it before?" she prompted icily.

Braca swallowed nervously before answering quickly, "On Crichton's ship ma'am."

Grayza's eyes widened in surprise and she plopped back down into the water in surprise, causing waves to knock the holographic projector off of the side of the bath and onto the deck. Water also splashed onto the deck and Braca.

Her mind was reeling with incredible possibilities. Human warships? It couldn't be! Crichton was from a backwater planet. Both his interrogations at the hand of Scorpious and her Skreeth had proven that! Another very dark thought struck her. Had it all been a ploy for them in order to gain Intel? Crichton had proven resistant to most forms of interrogation, had he also managed to fool the Aurora chair? Had John's origins, from a primitive world called Earth, been merely a fabrication, put on solely for their benefit? The possibility was astounding and terrifying.

She shuddered. Did they have fleets of these ships AND wormholes weapons? Where they just waiting for the right moment to swoop down and overrun the Scarren Empire and the Peacekeepers_? Had Crichton been sent here to destabilize the whole area in preparation for an invasion?_ She asked herself in horror. From that point of view, **every** action that Crichton had taken was suddenly making a great deal of sense to her.

This conferred even more importance to her mission to keep the peace between the Scarrens and the Peacekeepers-if they fought one another then the Humans would overrun them both with ease!

She turned to Braca, "Do not speak of this to anyone Captain! How long till we reach Katratzi?" she demanded in shock.

"We will be there shortly, ma'am…I was about to inform you when this arrived," he explained.

"Excellent captain, remember nothing much go wrong with these negations…nothing!" he exclaimed fiercely.

In Picard's Ready Room on the Enterprise-D, Captains Garret and Picard were snarling at each other across his desk over her decision to allow Commander Benjamin Sisko and Lieutenant Larz Dax to accompany Commander Crichton on some sort of mission

"Let me get this straight," declared Picard incredulous. "You allowed Commander Sisko and Lieutenant Dax go off with this man, that you yourself have said showed many signs of paranoia!"

Garret wincedPut that way it did sound a 'little' outrageous, "Yes I did," she answered defiantly.

"What the hell possessed you to allow such a thing?" he demanded irritably, ripping into her as if she was a junior officer.

Garret's eyes narrowed at his tone, "Captain Picard please remember that I am not some junior officer for you to snipe at! I am a Captain, who in fact is technically, senior to you! As to why I did that, since we have arrived in this dimension, we have been utterly lost, our people shot at for no discernable reason and you have annihilated a Scarren Dreadnaught…" she held up her hand to forestall his rebuff. "…albeit they did attack us first, still you could have disabled the vessel. Instead you proceeded to blast it to subatomic particles-as I see it this is our chance to make a friend," she told him acidly.

Picard glared back at her, and they locked eyes for several moments before Picard broke the contact. "So I see, let us just hope you have not sent two good officers-my officers-to their deaths," Picard retorted cuttingly.

"You needn't worry they aren't going on a suicide mission, Commander Crichton reassured me that it was a simple rescue mission, there shouldn't be any big problems," she reassured Picard, "He said he had a good plan worked out already."

"That's it? He didn't elaborate any more than that?" demanded Picard.

"No he didn't, besides there wasn't time," Garret said offhandedly.

Picard sat back in his chair; he didn't like this situation one bit. They had too little information for his liking…and not enough Intel on something was a sure way to loss any battle, albeit they weren't in conflict with anyone…well other than the Scarrens, he admitted darkly to himself.

"My gut tells me this was the right decision," reassured Garret.

Picard only scowled darkly in response, but he didn't add anything.

She continued anyway. "When they succeed, Commander Crichton will be much more receptive us, I assure you. Also during the course of our talks, he did let slip several facts that I think will make you more receptive to this risk."

Picard turned hooded eyes on her.

"Commander Crichton let slip that he does indeed know where Earth is," this caught Picard's attention, "…and also when we are."

Picard sat up straighter in his chair, "Well?" he demanded tersely.

Garret dropped a bombshell on Picard, "It's apparently the year 2003; closer to 2004," she stated evenly.

Picard's eyes widened in surprise as his anger was forgotten, "What?"

"It is now the beginning of the twenty-first century," Garret repeated clearly.

Picard's mind was racing, his mind latched the sudden implications of what he had done to the Scarren Dreadnaught, "But that means…"

She sprang the full meaning of their encounter with the Scarrens, "Yes, Earth has no interstellar capability to speak of and YOU may have made Earth an enemy that they will not be able to fight off for several centuries," Garret said coldly.

Picard sat back in his seat, coldness gripping in midsection, but something still didn't make sense, "Wait, if Earth have no interstellar capabilities then how did Commander Crichton get out here?" he asked with interest.

"Apparently it was some sort of an accident. He didn't elaborate that much," Garret replied "though as they were preparing to leave I did hear one of the aliens with him mention something about a latent wormhole."

"A wormhole? There aren't any wormholes in the vicinity of Earth close enough for an early twenty first centaury ship to reach at sublight speeds!" Picard exclaimed.

Garret just shrugged in response, "Apparently there are in this dimension." She paused, as she knew that Picard definitely had many other questions that she wouldn't be able to answer until Sisko and Crichton returned. "Either way, we won't be hearing from them or receiving any more answers till they return with their friend, somebody they called Scorpious."

Picard remained silent.

Garret changed the subject, "What about the UTs? Did Commander La Forge figure out why they weren't working properly?"

Picard nodded, "Apparently the transition to this dimension caused them to shift to another frequency, but it was only a slight change that is why at first glance they appeared to be operating normally. Geordie has already adjusted them all, including the ones with Sisko and Dax, neither we nor they should have a problem with them again."

"Good." Garret moved on to another more important subject. "What about Commander Data? What did he have to report?"

"He's found Earth," Picard answered lightly.

It was Garret's turn to be surprised, "What? And you're just telling me this now?" she demanded irately.

Picard shrugged, "Well you have been busy," he retorted.

Garret glared at him, but she let it slide. "Where is it?"

It was Picard's time to drop bombshells on Garret, "According to Mister Data's calculations it should be approximately one hundred light years past the far border of the Scarren Empire," he answered humorlessly.

_Oh god no!_ thought Garret. "Please tell me you are kidding Jean-Luc…"

He shook his head negatively.

Garret sat back in her chair as the blood drained from her face in shock, her mind reeling this horrendous piece of information. Why they'd have to traverse the whole width and breadth of Scarren Empire to reach Earth and be able to protect it from the Scarrens reprisal that she knew was going to come from their destruction of the Scarren Dreadnaught.

"This is terrible!" she stated, "Especially given what Crichton told me quickly of the Scarrens"

Picard looked at her sharply, "What did he say?"

Ash-faced Garret looked at Picard, "He described them as being worse than the Peacekeepers and he called the Peacekeepers, quote 'Space Nazis'"

Picard's eyes widened in surprise and shock, this was not good…not good at all.

**Author's Notes:** Hope you like this chapter, Sorry for the delay and as always Read, Enjoy and Review!


	8. Chapter 7 Welcome to Katratzi

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: **Hope u enjoy this.

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter Seven Welcome to Katratzi**

_This is going to be an interesting mission,_ mused Sisko, _if we don't get ourselves killed._

After the Leviathan ship Moya had left the two Enterprises behind, Commander Crichton and the other natives of this dimension, along with Sisko and Dax, had pilled into the strange ship that Sisko had seen on his way into Moya's docking bay. The Luxan, Ka Dargo said that this was his ship, _Lo'la_, a powerful ancient Luxan warship that they had found. Needless to say with the two Starfleet officers and the others it was very crowded. Sisko and Dax were sitting at the rear of the cockpit; Aeryn and Dargo were piloting the ship. Behind those two sat and John and Sikozu, with the last three squeezed together in front of Dax and Sisko.

Sisko noticed that John was fiddling with something in his lap. "What do you have there?" he asked curiously.

"This is Humanity's gift to the absurd…a thermonuclear bomb," replied John calmly.

Sisko exchanged a worried with Dax. "What are you going to use it for?" Sisko asked in concern.

John looked back at the two Starfleet officers and smiled smugly. "You'll see…just keep up your intimidation act and everything will go according to the plan." He turned his back to the two, now, very disturbed officers.

"Uh, you never explained what your plan actually entailed," remarked Sisko dryly.

The Nebari girl, Chiana, looked at him and remarked seriously, "Trust me you don't want to know."

"On that note I would just like to repeat…this is Madness!" the deposed Hynerian Dominar chose to add emphatically at that point.

"Could be genius Sparky," John retorted quickly, "You know there's a fine line between them."

Sisko for his part didn't like anything he was hearing.

"Geniuses make plans," retorted Rygel pointedly.

_The Dominar had a good point_, conceded Sisko, _a very good point._

Without looking up from the controls Aeryn replied, "We're going to walk into the most heavily guarded base in the Scarren Empire, start a civil war and walk out with Scorpious in the confusion. What part of that didn't you understand?" she asked in annoyance.

John grinned.

Dax's reaction was almost immediate. "We're going to WHAT?" he exclaimed in disbelief.

There it was, Sisko had been waiting for the other shoe to drop, and there it was. They were going to save their friend and along the way they were going to spark off a civil war. Sisko closed his eyes momentarily, almost in pain, inciting a civil war to rescue this Scorpious was not the sanest plan he'd ever heard in his career…not by a very long shot.

Sisko put a hand on Dax's shoulder to stop him from continuing. "Relax Lieutenant."

"But sir!" Dax protested, "I didn't join Starfleet to start wars!"

"Yeah well you're in Starfleet now Spots," quipped John sarcastically.

"Captain Garret would not have agreed to let us come if she knew we were going to be starting a war," Sisko said gravelly, "Is there not some other way for you rescue your friend?"

All of the aliens except Sikozu turned to stare at Sisko.

"What?" asked Sisko of the five pairs of eyes that were staring at him incredulous.

"Are you insane? Grasshopper's not any friend of ours!" retorted John irately, "Where'd you get such a dumb idea?"

Sisko blinked, _what?_ "But you're going to rescue him?"

John rolled his eyes in disgust, "I told you already, we're going to prevent my knowledge from coming out of his mouth."

Sisko just stared at John trying to get his head around all this. Deep down inside, he felt as if there was something…something crucial to his understanding of this situation that he was missing.

"You're insane!" declared Dax in horror.

John shrugged. "Yeah, I've been told before. Right guys?" he retorted while asking for confirmation of his shipmates.

An enthusiastic chorus of yes, absolutely and frell yeahs assailed the Starfleet officers. In response Dax held his head in pain and opened his mouth to curse the day that he had joined Starfleet.

He was cut off by Dargo saying, "We've been spotted."

Sisko looked out the forward window and saw several average sized ships ahead plus one massive vessel that had large rings attached to a central long narrow body. The large strange looking planet behind them overshadowed them all. "What kind of ship is that?" he asked indicating the big ship.

Aeryn answered him, "It's a Peacekeeper Command Carrier."

_The Peacekeepers are here as well?_ Sisko thought in shock. He opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when a deep gruff voice suddenly began speaking in the ship.

"Unidentified Vessel, state your purpose here or be destroyed!" the voice said as Sisko's UT translated for him.

Sikozu answered. "We come bearing John Crichton, he wishes to join the negotiations."

Sisko and Dax shared a look both had the same question in their minds, Negotiations? What Negotiations?

"What did you just say?" demanded Chiana.

"Don't you ever listen to the plans?" said Sikozu in disgust and annoyance, "I told them we were accompanying John Crichton and that he wanted to join the Negotiations," she explained a long-suffering tone.

It became obvious to Sisko that the rest of crew hadn't understood what Sikozu had said.

"Oh great now they're guaranteed to blow us the hezmana up!" Chiana declared in irritation.

The deep voice spoke again. "You are cleared to dock," it stated and to Sisko's ears it sounded a little intimidated.

"They've given us clearance to dock," Sikozu translated for the others.

"That's it, 1812, I need it now," John declared.

The DRD scooted over to John as Rygel suggested, "You know that it's not too late for us to…"

"Sorry to disappoint Sparky but we're heading in, besides there's the Scarren freighter-that means that Grasshopper's already on Katratzi. We are going in!" John said meaning every word.

Sisko thought, like it or not He and Dax committed in, with no way out. He turned to Dax and nodded. He and Dax checked the settings on their phasers and phaser rifles one last time before they entered the lion's den.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Several Scarren ships escorted in Lo'la. The bay was empty of guards by as they disembarked they were by Scarren and Charrid guards. Sisko took one look at the Scarrens and realized that if things blew up in their faces as he suspected then hand to hand combat was out. The Scarrens looked like they could be a match to a Gorn and humans simply couldn't match that kind of physical power. He could also see three distinct types of Scarrens, one with a humanoid neck and head, another with a long sinuous neck holding the head slightly in front of the Scarren, while the third was a almost a something in between the other two. The third type had a wedge shaped head with a slightly longer neck.

The guards quickly escorted them to a conference room, but not before John quietly told Sisko to remain quiet and let him do the talking and just stand around looking intimidating. To which Sisko had dryly replied that he'd try.

The door to the conference room opened and they entered.

"…But we have a guest that could make these talks more amusing," said a deep resounding voice.

Sisko quickly looked around, the speaker was a Scarren in red leather and was undoubtedly the Scarren in charge of the base. There was a large conference table at which sat a varied group of aliens. Sisko recognized the Scarren, Kalish, and Charrid members. That left behind two others that Sisko realized had to be Peacekeepers. He also realized why they'd been attacked at the Commerce planet despite the fact that they hadn't provoked anybody.

Sisko quickly studied the two Peacekeepers, one was female the other a male. Both were of average height and build and wearing black leather uniforms. The male wore a closed form fitting black leather jacket and had a submissive air about him. The female though, was also wearing a leather jacket, but here's was open and she was wearing a white shirt that was open almost from the neck down to her navel showing a very respectable amount of cleavage. She had both an air of seduction and authority about her-not to mention the look of arrogance she had in her deep blue eyes.

"John Crichton," stated the blue-eyed female in black with the very, very low, and open neckline white shirt in arrogance.

John smiled lazily, "And partner. What did we miss?" he asked, managing to come off both sarcastic and insolent.

"You've taken a great risk coming here. Why shouldn't I just have you seized, right now?" said the red clad Scarren gruffly.

John took a step forward and pulled back his coat, revealing the bomb, which was strapped to his side, "Well, maybe this," he replied simply.

A female voice coming from a Scarren with a very tall hat, "What's that?" she demanded sharply.

"Plutonium core. Tritium shell. Does that translate?" he said straightforwardly.

The red clad Scarren's head came up slowly in comprehension. "A fission bomb."

Several of Scarren guards moved menacingly towards John. One of them growled and pointed his gun at John.

The red clad Scarren's reaction was immediate. "Put those down!" he growled in command.

John turned a measuring eye towards the red clad Scarren. "Nice threads. You must be the Emperor."

_The Emperor of the Scarren Empire?_ thought Sisko in alarm; the situation was becoming more alarming by the minute and he still felt in the dark.

The Emperor growled quietly.

John took a couple of steps towards the table. "Now, before anybody decides to get clever, you should know I have multiple deadman sensors from every culture on my ship and a few cultures I haven't heard of," explained in a serious tone.

Disbelief and unease filled Sisko's being as he looked at John, his face clear of emotions; the bomb was active and attached to John. It looked like John was taking himself as a hostage…though the question was what could a twenty-first centaury man have possibly have that two powerful space faring cultures could want?

The female Peacekeeper sat down and folded her hands in front of her on the table, to Sisko's eyes she appeared unsettled, but she was hiding it well.

John continued on with his explanation, "My heart stops... we all go boom. My heart speeds up…it's boom again. Too hot, too cold, too happy, too sad, thirsty, hungry bored... it's John Lee Hooker time! Boom, boom, BOOM!" He stooped and looked pointedly at the female Scarren that had spoken earlier, "And you try your little psychic trick... ka-boom. And we're all pushin' up day-glow daisies."

"Why do I doubt that?" retorted the female Scarren arrogantly.

John shrugged idly, "Because you lack imagination?"

The Emperor looked at John and cut to the chase, "What do you want?"

John looked at him incredulous, "What do _I..._ want? What do I want? _I... _have not been chasing my ass all over the galaxy trying to pull out chunks of my brain. _I..._ have not been sneaking fembots..." he looked pointedly at the female Scarren, "and Skreeths into the places where I live," he looked at the female Peacekeeper. "_You_ want something! You. You want... what's inside my head," he continued whirling around to point fingers the assembled group of aliens before finally tapping his temple. He took a breath before continuing in a harsh tone, "You want... what I know about wormholes. Because I... " He climbed up onto the conference table, " ... can leap tall galaxies in a single bound. I can scorch planets with a wave of my hand... and you... and you... and you..." he pointed at each alien before finally pausing and continuing in a much softer tone, "You can't do jack."

Suddenly for Sisko and Dax, the situation made a great deal more sense, he shared a look with Dax. John was offering them some type of Wormhole technology, and given the rant that John went through, it was probably pretty impressive, despite his obvious exaggerations.

The female Peacekeeper rebutted John hesitantly, "That's... not... true."

John looked at her and sneered, "Oh, really?" He crouches down, continuing to look at, "You command the stars to do your bidding? I know you can't. And you can't. And you can't. And you won't. But I have," he boasted, once more pointing to each alien representative.

Aeryn looked on and smiled at the confusion written on the faces of the assembled aliens.

The Emperor asked in confusion. "Then why are you here?"

John stands back up on the table: "Because…I am an American. And what does an American want? Democracy? Capitalism! I want to sell out and settle down. For one day only, it's a blue light special on aisle three. My wormhole technology... and a free set of steak knives for all the tea in China and anything you can imagine to pay _me_!"

"Pay?" said the female Scarren in disbelief.

"Yes! Pay... cash," affirmed John firmly.

A Kalish male that as sitting at the table scoffed at the offer and declared, "He's crazy."

Aeryn just continued to smile and merrily. "Isn't it fun?"

John climbed over the front of the table, knocking things off with his boots as he sat on the edge. He clapped his hands and rubbed them together: "Welcome... to my cold war. Now... what am I offered for all the powers of the Universe?" he said with glee.

Sisko looked at John in shock. He was going to start an intergalactic war not a civil war!

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

A short time later, Sisko and Moya's crew were alone in the conference room.

Dax completed a sweep of the room with his tricorder removing all the listening devices in a few short moments.

"All right I'm impressed," said Dargo. "Were can I get one of those?" he asked Dax wistfully.

Dax shrugged, "It's standard issue with the uniform," he replied offhandedly.

Sisko turned to John and quickly cut to the chase. "Just what have you dropped us into?" he demanded angrily.

"Cool your head, Mr. Intimidation," retorted John sarcastically. "It's nothing we can't handle."

Sisko's eyes narrowed, "From what I heard you're about to start an intergalactic war."

John waved his allegation off. "Naaah, Commandant Cleavage and the Emperor are both too afraid to lose a war against each other."

Sisko shook his head at the naivety of that comment but let it slide for now. He needed more answers now to fill the void that had begun to get larger with each passing moment during John's tirade and offer. "What kind of wormhole technology were you offering them?"

John looked at Sisko as if he was the crazy one, "I'm bluffing, there's absolutely no way in hell I'm giving either of them my wormhole knowledge."

Finally, the situation was starting to become more understandable. "So they will not attack us, what now?" Sisko asked.

"Now we spark a riot between the Kalish and Charrids-and while they're busy killing each other we grab grasshopper and Lo'la then blasts us out of here…simple as hell right?" John said reassuringly.

Sisko frowned, "That's it?"

"What? You want me to have Big Red and Commandant Cleavage jump through some hops before we blast out of here? Not that that wouldn't be fun, but I'd rather get out of here before our luck runs out," quipped John sarcastically. He turned to Aeryn. "Aeryn?" he prompted.

She nodded and said, "Pilot's enhanced the encryption so our comms should be secure."

John turned to his other shipmates. "Anyone have any problems, phone home. Fat man and I will throw our weight around."

"You all know the plan," Aeryn added.

"Ooh!" Noranti cried out as Chiana jumped past her, onto the table. "Uh... no. Refresh me," the three-eyed woman requested.

Chiana whispered in annoyance, "Wrinkles."

Noranti turned to face her. "Yes?"

John let out a sigh of long sufferance and pointed at Rygel, "Charrids."

Rygel mumbled to himself.

John pointed at Sikozu, "Kalish." He then pointed at Noranti with both hands at Noranti. "Recon," he finished.

Noranti lit up with a smile and pointed back at John with both her hands: "Peacekeepers!"

John nodded in affirmation.

"What about us? How shall we help?" Sisko asked.

John looked at them thoughtfully for a few seconds before responding, "You can go look intimidating with D…Spots can go help grandma and Pip with Recon."

Sisko nodded and as they prepared to leave the conference room he heard Chiana comment coyly to Dax, "Just how far down do those spots go?"

Dax gave her a rakish smile before replying, "All the way."

Then they were gone from the room leaving Sisko alone with Dargo who just growled at their disappearing forms.

Sisko understood the look and mentally set a reminder to warn Dax from trying anything with the Nebari girl.

"Let's go," growled Dargo in Sisko's direction.

oxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Everything had been going splendidly before Crichton arrived, cursed Commandant Grayza, as she paced in her office on the Command Carrier. Now everything was much more uncertain, especially given her new understanding of John Crichton and Earth's capabilities.

Captain Braca walked into her office and for the second time in a very short time, cut into her musings. "Ma'am, Crichton and Officer Sun are here to see you, their ship is docking even as we speak," he reported.

She turned to face Braca her nostrils flaring with surprise at this turn of events, _why were they here?_ "Have the Deck Officer show them her, quickly," she commanded.

Braca nodded and then commed the Deck Officer to relay her commands. A few short moments later John Crichton walked into her office, Aeryn following him.

They both looked around before Aeryn stated evenly, "A peace conference with the Emperor. Very brave of you to enter Scarren space."

Captain Braca retorted quickly, "We could say the same for you."

Grayza looked pleadingly at Crichton, "John Crichton... please do not destroy the Sebacean people," she beseeched him.

John snorted in derision. "You don't need me for that. You're doing a great job on your own."

Grayza steeled herself and she bit her lip before continuing. "I beg of you, I know the truth now. We do not wish to be your enemy when your fleets arrive!"

John shared a bewildered look with Aeryn, before looking at Grayza as if she was insane. "Is this a bad time? Have you been drinking? Should we come back later?" he asked in confusion.

"Enough charades, we saw how two Earth light cruisers annihilated that Scarren Dreadnaught that challenged them!" she retorted angrily. "We know why you've come to this region of space; you're softening us up for your invasion!"

John turned to Braca. "She does realize that I'm John Crichton and that Earth has no fleets right? I thought we'd already established that a long time ago?"

Braca looked at him in disquiet. "Your lies are no longer necessary. We've seen your Earth ships in action."

John threw up his hands exasperation and turned to Aeryn. "That's it, it's official-they've finally lost it."

Aeryn in response just stared at the two PKs in suspicion, something wasn't adding up and at the same time something was seemed very familiar.

"Captain," cut in Grayza. "Show them the recording of the skirmish over the Commerce planet," she commanded.

Braca quickly produced a small circular holographic projector. He placed it on the Commandant's desk and activated it. The image quickly resolved itself into the image of a Scarren Dreadnaught. A microt later two smaller silver-gray ships appeared and John and Aeryn's eyes widening in understanding. They paid close attention to the recording as the two Federation vessels quickly dealt with the Scarren fighters that the dreadnaught launched at them. The two Federation ships moved elegantly and at speeds that shocked John and Aeryn but then the _Enterprise_ stuck at the Dreadnaught itself with three red glowing missiles that quickly consumed the entire warship in a short and efficient amount of time. The two Federation ships then accelerated away and disappeared in two flashes of white light.

The recording ended and John exchanged a disturbed look with Aeryn. "Excuse us just a sec," John said grabbing Aeryn and pulling her to the far side of the room to confer.

Grayza watched while they talked quietly. She swallowed, so much depended on her reparations to those two.

A few microts later John and Aeryn turned back to face and speak the Commandant; Crichton had a strange glint in his eye as he said. "Well done Commandant, but now that you know our secret what do you have to say for yourself?"

Grayza's stomach collapsed into itself as a she suddenly saw her deepest worries becoming reality in front of her eyes. She could practically feel the doom that was Humanity about to fall on the collective heads of the Peacekeepers…and it wasn't a pretty image, not by a long shot. She swallowed nervously; she hadn't felt this nervous since she been a lowly Peacekeeper cadet. "I…I…I wish to profoundly apologize for any and all actions take by any past and present Peacekeepers against you and the crew of Moya."

John smirked at her, "It's a start…"

Grayza swallowed again; fully aware of her thudding heartbeat that was trying to jump out of her chest, "Perhaps…Perhaps if you could give me a few hundred microts, I can have full unconditional Peacekeeper pardons for all members of Moya. Will that suffice you?" she asked in fear of what could happen if it wasn't.

John shared a slow look with Aeryn before answering, "It's not…"

The sight of burning Peacekeeper worlds flashed across her eyes.

"…But it will have to suffice…for now," John continued arrogantly.

She let out a sigh of relief as the vision of Peacekeeper annihilation was washed out of her body in a flowing tide of relief. She cleared her throat and asked seriously, "Was there anything else you wished to discus, Commander Crichton?"

John haughtily looked her over once before answering, "No, for now nothing else…ah, before I forget; do not breathe a word of this to the Scarrens," he ordered gruffly.

Grayza nodded immediately. "Of course, as you wish. Please let Captain Braca show you back to your ship," she answered submissively.

Crichton and Aeryn, along with Braca left Commandant Grayza's office, leaving behind a very worried Sebacean female that was still very much afraid of what would happen to her people when the Humans exerted their full strength in her part of the galaxy.

**Author's Notes:** Hope you like this chapter, as always Read, Enjoy and Review!


	9. Chapter 8 Developments

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: **Hope u enjoy this.

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter 8 Developments**

Crichton and Aeryn remained stone-faced, past the straight-laced Peacekeepers, past the roles of techs and other personnel who were, thanks to Grayza's orders, too frightened to even _look_ their way. The commandant's orders were explicit, as were her threats; leave them both alone on pain of excruciating death.

The two entered their borrowed Scarren shuttle, sealed the hatch and started their return trip to Katratzi and the very heart of the Scarren Empire. Both of them were still somewhat in shock by the recent events.

"Frell me! How long do you think we can keep this up?" Aeryn asked, finally allowing her surprise at this turn of events to show through her normally stoic exterior.

"I have no idea," admitted John. "But it couldn't have happened at a better time. This gives us some leverage that we didn't know we had." His mind was racing with the possibilities in front of him. "With Commandant Cleavage scared to death that we 'Humans' may swoop in and wipe out her little Nazi organization," he continued, "she'll keep our little secret and I'm going to milk this for all it's worth!"

Aeryn's mind turned away from the Peacekeepers and to their new 'friends', "John, I know they told us about this, but…I never believed them," she admitted.

"You and me both sunshine but you saw the same video I did…they really took out a Scarren dreadnaught and Peacekeeper spies had a ring-side seat to the whole thing. This does put a new light on things, doesn't it? I think we need to have a little talk with Mr Intimidation, as soon as we get back…"

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Back in Katratzi's conference room, War Minister Ahkna stared at the dark skinned Sebaceanoid male (the heat she could see he was giving off showed conclusively that he was not a Sebacean) in front of her standing next to the Luxan Crichton had brought with him as security. She wondered when this creature had joined Moya's crew…and why. Either way, this one and the other spotted one were an enigma; something she needed to investigate…and something that could prove dangerous if not dealt with soon.

Boldly, as was her right, she walked up to the trio. "You…who are you? Why do work with Crichton and the others?" she asked boldly.

Sisko stared at her contemptuously, her arrogant and intimidating stare having no effect on him, "I am Commander Benjamin Sisko, and it's none of your business."

She eyed him speculatively. His bio-signature was uncannily similar to John Crichton's; however, there were some differences. He wasn't some mutated Sebacean either and neither was the spotted one. "What planet are you from?" she asked.

"Earth," he responded indifferently.

Ahkna froze, _Earth?! He was human?!_ She thought in shock. She gathered herself quickly and tried to see the truth behind his words with her telepathic abilities.

She received another shock when her telepathic power was blocked.

She gathered her self and eyed him speculatively. "Impossible Crichton is the only human to have left his homeworld," Ahkna said. "Who are you really?" she quickly demanded.

Sisko stared at her indifferently.

Ahkna's eyes narrowed, "Indeed. Perhaps I need to find some new sources…" she said slowly in a menacing tone.

Sisko gave her a small saccharine smile, "Perhaps."

She stared at him a bit more and then turned and walked away. Her mind reeling with possibilities and listing intelligence officers that she was going to have to execute for this lapse in intelligence. She thought idly perhaps Scorpious knows more about this? She nodded as she walked yes, yes; it was time to talk to her favourite prisoner before Crichton came back with that foolish bomb of his.

The moment she was out of the door, she ordered her security guards to watch them carefully. Somehow, these people had managed to find and disable all of the audio and video plants within the conference room. That spoke of considerable knowledge that could be of use to the empire.

Inside the Suite, Sisko shared a look with Dargo, "Very friendly, isn't she?"

Dargo stared at him for a moment before snorting, "I'm starting to think you are what you say you are, you humans have such a knack at understating things…come on Rygel is waiting for us."

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxooxoxxoxox

Ten minutes later, the war minister found herself in front of her favourite pet. The pain Scorpious was exhibiting was excruciating, exactly the way Ahkna liked it. He was strung up like a puppet, dozens of wounds leaked blood onto the flood. His torturer, Stark, was pleased by his condition, Pleased at his condition herself, Ahkna touched one of the wounds on his face and licked the blood off of her fingers.

"You bleed so wonderfully," she cooed. "It's a shame that I can't have it all. However, for some reason, the Emperor seems to like you alive so I must indulge him for a little while longer. Does it hurt?"

"-Just the way I like it," the half Scarren-half Sebacean managed to gasp defiantly. "You pleasure me well. It makes me think of you every time I'm tortured. Oh, the wonderful times we could have together."

"I shall make sure your fantasy continue to the best of my ability, Scorpious," she told him sweetly. "As you said, John Crichton did come."

"Does that matter?" she asked. Gently, almost lovingly, she used her fore claw to trace a ring of blood around his throat. Scorpious moaned in half pleasure and pain as more blood spilled.

"You do that so nicely. It's a shame that I can't return the favour."

The howling coming from Scorpious made her spine shiver in pleasure as she left him to the tender mercies of his tormentor.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo

Accompanying Rygel and Dargo on their part of the mission was most illuminating for Commander Sisko; he hadn't thought that the small frog like Hynerian could be so manipulative. In fact, Sisko had seen worse performances from Starfleet Intelligence officers.

He and Dargo stood at the back of the Charrids' gathering room watching as Rygel worked his magic on the Charrid leader, to drive the wedge between the Charrids and Kalish in deeper and deeper.

Dargo nudged Sisko quietly, "Crichton wants to talk to you in the conference room."

Sisko looked at him and asked curiously, "Did he say what about?"

Dargo shook his head.

"Fine, tell him I'll be there momentarily," Sisko told Dargo; though he would have liked to stay and watch Rygel finish his machinations.

Sisko walked out of the smoky room and carefully made his way back to the conference all the while giving any person that crossed his path a dark intimidating stare as Crichton had suggested to him previously.

He reached the conference room and found Aeryn and Crichton waiting for him with pensive looks on their faces. Sisko looked between the one and the other before carefully saying, "You wanted to talk to me?"

"Yeah, we just came back from our meeting with Commandant Cleavage, it was interesting…to say the least," John began softly.

Sisko raised an eyebrow and said when Crichton didn't continue, "And?"

"I apologize," Aeryn said to Sisko. "I didn't fully believe what you said about destroying a Scarren dreadnaught. I believe you now."

"What changed your mind?" Sisko asked, surprised by this change in opinion.

"The Peacekeepers recorded the battle. They've always believed that Earth is not advanced enough to travel in space…because it's true. But your little show changed their minds."

"You scared Commandant Cleavage so much that she offered us unconditional pardons." John leaned forward conspiratorly with an amused smile on his face, "She begged me not to sic our Earth ships on her. When she finds out the truth, she is going to be one pissed off puppy. So we need to find Scorpy and get the hell out of dodge as soon as possible," he finished urgently.

Sisko looked at John holding at bay his anger at this ruse that Crichton had perpetrated without so much as a heads up-especially as the two Federation ships had such a pivotal role in the deception.

"So how goes the negotiations?" John asked not seeing Sisko's darkening mood.

Sisko held his ire back and reminded himself; they needed Crichton and the others more than they needed them, "The Dominar seems to have matters well in hand." Sisko paused for second before pulling out his tricorder, "If we need to find this Scorpious so quickly, why don't you tell me what species he is, I might be able to scan for him."

John stared at the device. Aeryn glared at the device as well.

"You're telling me you can find Scorpious with that device?" Aeryn asked sceptically.

"Tell me something about him and I should be able to find him," Sisko retorted confidently.

John shared a glance with Aeryn before shrugging, "He's half Sebacean like Aeryn and half Scarren. He looks humanoid but maintains a high body temperature."

Sisko stared at them for a second before replying slowly, "Interesting…combination," _especially considering that a Scarren/Sebacean breeding is about as likely as a Gorn/Human breeding_, he added mentally, "It will take a few minutes. I'll need to filter out the Scarrens and then all Sebaceans." He manipulated the controls of the tricorder for a few minutes. "Now I'll filter out the Hynerian, the Nebari, Kalish, and Charrids. Okay I have few possibles that fit our profile's target."

"Where are they located?" asked John eagerly.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Elsewhere in the galaxy, Jothee, the estranged son of Ka Dargo was investigating strange readings that their ship had picked from an uninhabited system.

He piloted his cloaked Luxan Penetrator cautiously at low Hetch into the system looking for the source of his readings; he passed by lifeless gas giants and through a couple of asteroid fields before the ship neared the source of the strange signals.

"Contact," spoke the Luxan sensor officer.

"Where?" demanded Jothee immediately.

"10 degrees to port," came the other Luxans answer.

Jothee shifted the ship and found himself looking at the wreckage of a green vessel the likes of which he had never seen before. He could see that at one time the ship had had two wings and a long neck that extended from a compact body but all that remained now was a crumpled body and broken remains of one wing and the head. He then quickly went to work scanning the ship and trying to find a match for it in his database.

"It's lifeless," Jothee said as the results of his scans begin returning.

"Whatever happened to it, it took one hell of a beating," commented one of the watching Luxans.

"A better question would be is whatever did this to it still here?" commented Jothee darkly to the others under his command. "Eyes sharp," he warned the sensor officer as he warily scanned the debris field that once been a ship. Jothee's console beeped and he looked down. His eyes widened, there was a second ship out and this one was still active, though power readings were fluctuating wildly.

"Stand by everyone, we've got a second ship insystem!" he ordered as he turned towards where the other ship was.

As the second ship came into view, he immediately noticed the similarities between it and the destroyed ship, albeit this one was much larger and menacing. The warrior in Jothee admired the skill and precision that had gone into creating the unknown bird-like vessel.

Jothee eyed it warily, keeping his approach slow and cautious. As they got closer, he could see that this ship wasn't unscarred either.

Again, Jothee wondered what exactly had gone on in this system…and more importantly, who were these interlopers?

"Computer can't identify them Cleaver," one of his subordinates reported, cutting into Jothee's thoughts.

Jothee took in the information in his stride; he continued to watch the ship for a few more microts.

His mind turned inwards towards the ramifications of this encounter, could this be a first contact with a new species? And if it was, were they hostile or could he meeting a new ally? Considering that the computer couldn't recognize the ship, it meant that most likely neither could the Peacekeepers. True they had a mutual protection treaty but the Luxan government didn't trust them, and neither did the average Luxan as well.

The wheels in Jothee's head continued to turn as the worst and best case scenarios of this encounter passed through his conscious mind.

Should he decloak and introduce themselves? Or should he continue to watch them silently?

Jothee snorted at that second option, he was a warrior and a Luxan warrior at that he was no Scorvian spy that sulked about in the shadows!

What was it that Crichton had once told him?

Ah, yes, _fortune favours the bold…_

Jothee took a deep breath, "Prepare to decloak!"

**Author's Notes:** Hope you like this chapter, as always Read, Enjoy and Review!


	10. Chapter 9 The insanity continues

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: **Hope u enjoy this. A note to everyone, reading, if I haven't altered a scene from the series that is canon, then that scene is still valid fro this fic.

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

**Chapter 9 The insanity continues**

Sisko sat there and tried to imagine how he was going to write all this up in his report when they got back to Enterprise, hell _if_ they got back.

They'd barely been on this station for a couple of hours and already Crichton had taken himself hostage with a nuclear fission bomb, repeatedly baited the Scarrans, bluffed the Peacekeepers… and now here he was a veteran Commander in Starfleet getting drunk with the enemy and a Luxan warrior. Sisko didn't know when it was all going to end and most importantly as far as he was concerned things were still going downhill.

Sisko managed to fight of the urge to rub his temples in pain as he watched Rygel insult a Charrid who then pulled out a blade and tried to stab him only to be grabbed and held down on the table by Dargo. Sisko shook his head. Rygel's negotiation tactics were inventive-effective, but not necessarily the most safe, for all parties involved.

Suddenly alarms began ringing through the chamber and the Charrids' leader General Rhazaro looked around in surprise and more than a little bit of trepidation if not outright fear.

"Intruder alert in the Crystherium Chamber!" one the Charrid officers announced moments later.

General Rhazaro looked around at his soldiers. "Hurry! Check it out!" he screamed at them, urging them on.

Sisko and the others watched as the General and his small cadre of soldiers charged out at full tilt from the room heading towards wherever this Crystherium Chamber was.

Sisko shot an inquisitive look at Dargo, who merely mouthed the word 'Crichton' to him. Sisko clenched his teeth; obviously, this was yet something else he had neglected to mention to him.

Sisko mentally made a note to have a talk to Captain Garret when they got back about her volunteering him missions. He wondered how Dax was doing on his mission.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

A short time later, Sisko found Crichton and Aeryn in the conference room looking very smug.

He eyed them carefully before saying, "it seems you two have been having some fun at the Charrids' expense."

John shared a look with Aeryn. "Not as much as we would have had, if the Charrids hadn't responded so quickly to the alarm," he said with a mysterious smile.

Sisko merely raised an eyebrow at that comment, but decided to let it pass he had more important things to wonder and worry about. "I'll bet. Did you find your friend?"

John grimaced. "How many times do I have to say grasshopper ain't no friend of mine…" he turned to Aeryn. "I mentioned this before didn't I sunshine, right?"

Aeryn nodded.

"And yet look at the trouble you are going to, to free him from Scarren captivity, the danger you and your other friends face for him," Sisko countered evenly.

"Yeah whatever…" the doors to the conference room opened and cut off the rest of Crichton's retort.

Sisko watched as the Emperor strode purposefully into the room flanked by two Charrid guards carrying or rather dragging behind them a black leather clad being.

"A bargain is struck," proclaimed the Emperor as the two Charrids threw the being onto the tabletop as if he were a piece of meat, "... however an agreement requires trust which, thus far, has been one-sided. Now, you tell me what else you really want."

John glanced at Aeryn, seemingly having forgotten Sisko, then looked back at Staleek, his eyes narrowed and his voice grew soft, "When you wake up... in the morning on your big, Emperor bed and you listen... what do you hear?" He started to walk, circling around to stand beside Aeryn. "Do you hear the little Emperor birdies singing outside your window? Do you hear the Emperor wind whistling through the trees? Or do you hear people dying? Do you hear your friends begging for mercy? Do you hear doors being kicked in because people are hunting you? Do you hear the sound of your heart pounding in your ears? What I want... Santa Claus? For the rest of my life I wanna wake up like an Emperor!" he proclaimed to Staleek much to Sisko's surprise.

Staleek nodded in understanding. "Your safety, guaranteed. In just a few arns."

John snorted derisively, "Bill Gates can't guarantee Windows. How you gonna guarantee my safety?"

Staleek drew himself up to his full height, "With great effort... and great sincerity. Though at some point, my largesse will dissipate." He finished and strode off, leaving the four of them alone in the conference room.

John looks at Aeryn.

From his position on his back, on the table, Scorpius hoarsely gasped out, "My appreciation."

In response, John walked over to him and grabbed Scorpius by the leather under his throat. "My... ass. Did you tell them?" he demanded irritably.

Scorpius stared at John and said, "No."

John's eyes narrowed and he glared at Scorpius. "Wormholes... my brain... Harvey! What did you tell them?" John grabbed Scorpius' throat.

"Nothing!" Scorpius repeated adamantly.

John's nostrils flared, "Listen up... I am Johnny Radiation because of you, Nosferatu. Everyone I care about west of the Moon is here and in danger to make sure that you keep your mouth shut. Now! Did you keep your mouth shut?"

Scorpius didn't hesitate in his answer. "Yes!" he croaked out.

"John..." Aeryn began slowly as she stared dispassionately down at Scorpius.

John looked up at her. "You believe him?" he asked disbelievingly.

"Yes, I do," Aeryn nodded slowly.

Scorpius looked between them unsure of his position and how John would react.

"Good. Kill him and let's go," John ordered as he let go of Scorpius and took a step away.

Sisko froze he couldn't possibly have heard right. He stared disbelievingly at Crichton.

Scorpius' eyes and mouth fell open and he stared in utter shock at John, not believing what he had just heard. John couldn't have become that cold-despite everything he himself had done to him. John was no Peacekeeper; he didn't kill people like this!

"_What?_" exclaimed Aeryn in mock surprise.

"_Kill him,_ and let's go." He repeated simply, stressing the important words.

Aeryn frowned. "We came here to free him," she retorted.

John shook his head empathically. "No. We came here to make sure that my knowledge didn't slip out of his mouth. Kill him, Aeryn and let's go."

Aeryn: "Oh, you want _me_ to kill him?"

John, "Well, I'm not the assassin, am I?"

Aeryn, "If you want him to die, you can kill him yourself."

John cocked his head at her. "You made me promise that I wouldn't."

Aeryn, "Well, I release you from that promise."

John froze, as if not believing what she was saying. "Say that again."

Aeryn repeated her statement more forcibly this time. "I release you from that promise."

John gave her an evil grin before saying, "Thank you." He pulled out Wynona pointed it at Scorpius' face. He held it there for several microts, staring Scorpius mercilessly right in the eye before looking back up at Aeryn. "I'll give you my bike if you kill'im."

Scorpius gasped in exasperation as he finally realized what was going on. "May I speak?"

Aeryn and John both visibly relaxed, and John re-holstered Wynona. "No, he's tellin the truth. We'll sort you out later."

Scorpius sagged back onto the table in relief.

Sisko had watched the strange tableau developing in front of him, with growing horror and disbelief, who were these people? And Aeryn was an assassin? Once more Sisko got the sinking feeling that there was much more-much, much more, going on here than he or any other Starfleeter realised. Captain Garret truly hadn't realised the magnitude of the situation she had dropped him in. He had another feeling that whatever was really going on was going to have very serious consequences for them all.

"Guys! I apologize in advance for any incivility or insensitivity on my part, but it is beer o'clock... where the hell is my riot?" John demanded over his comm.

Sisko touched his comm badge. "Sisko to Dax-heads up, it seems everything's about to come to a head…stay alert and stay alive!" he warned Dax.

"Acknowledged Commander," came Dax's near immediate response.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxx

Elsewhere on Katratzi tensions were steadily rising to boiling point between the Kalish and the Charrids. Thanks mainly to the efforts of Rygel and Sikozu, both species were now only one step away from active conflict. And as Dargo watched their Scarren overseer tear into them for the breech in security of the Crystherium chamber, the tensions could be visibly seen continuing to steadily rise unabated.

Once the Scarren Overseer had walked away from the arguing Kalish leader and his Charrid counterpart things deteriorated even further as the Kalish insulted the Charrid you then grabbed the Kalish and then…boom suddenly both factions were shooting at each other.

The Scarren overseer came back into the room screaming at both groups to cease their actions at once but things were no longer under his control and he was forced to summon Scarren security to put down the riot.

So far, everything was going according to Crichton's harebrained plan.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Sisko and Aeryn supported, or rather dragged Scorpius along as John led the way back to the docking bay were Dargo's ship was waiting for them. They'd made it most of the way undeterred except for one minor incident with a Charrid guard that Captain Braca had shot in the back for them, before going his own way.

Now finally they were at the docking bay and Sisko had brought out his tricorder and was scanning the bay before they went in. Simultaneously, John was edging around the doorway trying to get a good look in to see what was waiting fro them there.

"I read two Scarrans," Sisko reported.

"I see them, they're looking the other way," John added.

Scorpius caught sight of Dargo's ship and said, "Dargo's ship cannot outrun a Stryker!"

"Moya's disguised as a freighter and waiting for us, as soon as we're aboard she'll Starburst," Aeryn responded quickly,

Scorpius looked at them his eyes unreadable.

"Come on," said John.

"I can't," croaked Scorpius before seeming to pass out on the floor of the corridor outside the docking bay.

Sisko shared a look with the others before quickly scanning Scorpius with the tricorder, "He's faking it, he's awake," he said in confusion.

"Grasshopper, you'd better get the hell up right now, we don't have time for your crap!" John cursed as he bent down next to the supposedly passed out hybrid.

Slowly Scorpius opened his eyes and grabbed John's arm. John in response hauled him back up onto his feet. "Alright Aeryn, you go in first," John said.

Aeryn nodded in affirmation and pulled out her pulse pistol, but Sisko stopped her before she could take a single step into the room.

"Wait, we should have a plan first!" Sisko exclaimed.

John just rolled his eyes. "We've got one, just follow our lead," he said impatiently.

Aeryn shook of his hand and ran into the docking bay firing off several shots but not at the guards as Sisko expected.

The shots were high above the guards. "Don't shoot or you might hit the bomb," she screamed at the same time as she held her pistol up in submission.

The guards stared about hesitant to make a move. Sisko could practically see the gears working in their heads as they wondered what they could do. They stared at each other uncertainly for a moment before the other shoe dropped.

Scorpius seemed to go into a fit and as Sisko bent to see what was happening to the hybrid, Scorpius reeled up and punched Sisko in the jaw. Stars exploded in front of Sisko's eyes before darkness started to close around him as the full force of Scorpius' teeth rattling punch registered.

The room slanted and Sisko had one thought before he passed out, _I hope the old man is having better luck today then me…_

**Author's Notes:** I realise that little of this has been changed from the actual events of the series but I simply couldn't think of a way to make it even better that it already was, still I hope you like this chapter, as always Read, Enjoy and Review! Though you should expect more changes in the next chapter. Sisko and Dax will become involved and have bigger parts then.


	11. Chapter 10 Can you say Screwed?

**A**** Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: **Hope u enjoy this. A note to everyone, reading, if I haven't altered a scene from the series that is canon, then that scene is still valid fro this fic. Please note that some parts of the first portion of this chapter are exactly as in the show. Read, Enjoy and Review please!

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarren Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission. This portion not needed as it's ID on all of your chapters.

_**Chapter 10**_

_**Can you say Screwed?**_

The fighting had died out and the were now all gathered once more in the Scarren Conference room with the new addition of Scorpious, who at this moment was the centre of everyone's attention.

"You mind telling me why the hell you did that?!" demanded Sisko angrily of Scorpious.

Scorpious turned cool calculating eyes at Sisko, studying him intensively for a several moments.

"Yo, Nosferatu! He asked you a question. Why the frell did you screw us?" Crichton shouted at him when he didn't immediately answer.

Very carefully, he said, "your energy signature is much higher than a Sebaceans." It was a statement, not a question.

John rolled his eyes. "Yeah it is. Get over it."

Scorpious turned curious eyes to Crichton. "How is this possible?"

"You missed a few curve balls while the Scarrens were serving you breakfast in bed," Crichton retorted, "Move on. Answer the question."

Scorpious didn't move on, he turned his reptilian eyes upon Dax, "What about him? His energy signature is different and yet even with those spots I would still mistake him for Sebacean, if I were not me."

Crichton threw up his hands in disgust. "See what I have to deal with?"

"He's a Trill," was Sisko's succinct reply, eyeing Scorpious carefully and wondering where he was going with all this.

Scorpious paused. "Two different species that share such phenotypical similarities and yet have different home worlds?"

"Most species in our area of space share similarities, some even more so," admitted Dax.

"Interesting..." Scorpious muttered softly.

"Hey! Scarren base-trapped. Surrounded by an army of Scarrens and Charrids-can we get back to that?!" Crichton demanded angrily. "Why the frell did you screw us, grasshopper?"

"Your plan would not have worked," he replied. "Base defenses would have destroyed us before we could reach Moya and it is very likely that they already know Moya's location," he replied smartly. "I saved all your lives."

"You stopped us from leaving, you frelnick?" Chiana screeched angrily.

"It is very likely that the Scarrens have also disabled D'argo's ship." With that Scorpious continued to defend his position. "We would not have been able to go anywhere, in any case,".

"That's impossible," exclaimed D'argo gruffly as he glared at Scorpious.

"Stealth is out. Does Lo'la have enough firepower to blast us out of here?" asked Aeryn.

D'argo thought for a moment before replying. "Maybe. Probably. I dunno. It's worth a shot."

"How would we do it?" asked Aeryn.

"I'd call Lo'la. She'd blast a hole and we'd run through."

John nodded. "Do it before someone else screws us." he said urgently.

"_Dushko hapeesta!"_ commanded D'argo. They waited silently to hear an explosion of chaos, but nothing happened. "_Dushko hapeesta!"_ commanded D'argo again, more urgently.

Again nothing happened.

"Somebody's jammed the comms?" Chiana suggested.

"No they've disabled Lo'la," Sikozu said firmly.

"That's impossible," D'argo claimed unsure if it were true or not.

"Be that as it may, its one possibility," Sisko said.

"Hey, what about the Command Carrier? Can we still get a free ride outta here?" Chiana suggested hopefully.

"Try it and find out," Ahkna sneered as she stepped into the conference room followed by one of her Scarren aides.

"We don't know what you're talking about," John said evasively as she stared him down.

Ahkna slowly approached John as she spoke menacingly, "Oh, let me enlighten you. Grayza doesn't frighten me. Her Command Carrier doesn't frighten me. Your bomb doesn't frighten me..." She slowly reached out and ran her finger over the top of the bomb. John was forced back a couple of steps until he bumped into the conference room table. "And neither do you."

"Damn. I'm on the brink of devastation, Minnie Pearl," sarcastically retorted.

In a flash, Ahkna backhanded John hard. With a thud he landed on the table top behind him. Ahkna's Scarren aide positioned himself in Aeryn and Sisko's way as they tried rush Ahkna and go to John's aid.

Ahkna slithered forward, climbing up onto the table and leaned over John. She copped the bomb, "Perhaps we should go there together." Her hot breath washed over John's face.

For a short time the only sound heard in the room was the continuous beeping of the bomb.

With a sneer, Ahkna reared back and stepped away. Leaving the conference room with only a warning glare at Crichton.

"You know what? I really don't like that tralk!" Chiana muttered.

xoxoxoxxoxoxxoxoxxoxoxoxxo

An hour later, Sisko and Dax stood alone in the conference room conferring.

"Did you find anything out, sir?" Dax asked.

"You mean other than the fact that this situation is completely out of anybody's control?" Sisko lamented angrily.

"That I had already figured out, Ben," Dax retorted smartly.

Sisko snorted and gave Dax a thin smile. "Well Old man, it seems they haven't settled on a new plan yet and D'argo's ship will be ready to blast out of here in around another hour."

"I'm never volunteering for another mission again," groaned Dax.

"Neither I am, but we still have to survive this mission," Sisko remarked dryly, "What about you?"

"The good news is they've found an another friend here trapped on the base, one that apparently knows his way around and could help us escape," Dax admitted.

"I'm sensing a but, here," Sisko remarked carefully.

"I don't think we should underestimate these Scarrens, sir. They've got some impressive tech at their disposal," Dax started.

Sisko frowned, "What kind of tech? All I've seen isn't advanced as it could be."

"They have the ability to grow biomechanical entities known as Biloids, that can masquerade as anyone they've captured," Dax said simply, his calm voice belying the sheer astounding implications of his words.

Sisko whistled softly. "But what does this have to do with their friend?"

"It was a Biloid that was walking around not their friend," Dax explained.

Sisko grimaced. "So it's another rescue mission."

Dax nodded sadly, "You know just once I want something to go our way," he said mournfully "At this rate we're doomed."

Sisko opened his mouth to speak but was cut off when D'argo burst into the room, his golden blade in his hand now, transformed into some kind of rifle. "Come on! Quick, we don't know how they did it but the Scarrens have deactivated John's bomb!"

Dax turned to Sisko in a deadpan and said, "How many deities do you figure we've offended for this to happen?"

Sisko shrugged. "All of them?"

"That's what I figured..."

**Author's Notes:** Just a small update to say that this story is still alive:) Read, Enjoy and Review please!


	12. Chapter 12 Countdown to whatever

**A Universe of Change: Realized Probability**

**Disclaimer: **see chapter one.

**Author's Notes: **Hope u enjoy this. Sorry about the very large delay, but writing this chapter has been very tedious, anyway as always Read, Enjoy and Review please!

**Summary:** The Enterprise C and D blunder into the borderland between the Scarran Empire and The Peacekeepers. This fic is a part of AlbertG's Ruinations series and has been written with his express permission.

_**Chapter 11**_

_**Countdown to whatever...**_

They rushed through the halls of Katratzi, D'argo leading the way while Sisko and Dax covered the rear.

As the rushed, Sisko wondered where they were going, they moved without being challenged, no Scarrans or Charrids stopped them and after a short time they reached their destination which turned out to be the elevator.

"Come on," Crichton urged them into the elevator, his pistol held at the ready and scanning for threats around them.

They all crowded into the elevator and Sisko saw a frustrated Sikozu fiddling with a panel. Drawing his phaser, Sisko turned around and stood next to Crichton.

Suddenly a male Kalish, run up to them.

Crichton and Sisko reacted instantly and turned their weapons towards the Kalish interloper.

The Kalish stopped mid stride and held his arms up in surrender, surprise and trepidation all over his face, "Wait...Wait".

"Wait, wait, wait!" screamed Sikozu from behind them. He pushed past them and reached out to the Kalish man.

"Here it is," he hands Sikozu a gold metallic key and smiles at her.

Sikozu smiles back, "Thank you-"

Pulse blasts suddenly sound in the air and the Kalish man jerks as he is hit the back multiple times.

Sikozu screamed and dived back into the elevator as Sisko and Crichton fired back before retreating back into the now very crowded elevator. The elevator door closed cutting them off from the approaching Scarran troops.

"Can you get it working now?" Crichton demanded.

Sikozu stepped to the console and inserted the key that had been given to her, she pressed a couple of buttons before saying,

"It'll take me a minute-"

"Then take us to the bottom of the shaft, the Crystherium chamber, they will not be able to reach us in another car, it'll buy us time," Scorpius explained quickly.

"Do it," Crichton said quickly.

Sisko remained silent but eyed Scorpius suspiciously for a moment. He was going to keep a close eye on him, especially after his last betrayal. He cast a quick glance around the elevator, Dax was behind him while he saw Chiana huddled up next to D'argo, Aeryn and Crichton on one side of the console with Sikozu at the controls and Scorpius behind her with one hand on her shoulder.

There was no sign of Rygel and Noranti.

"Where are Rygel and Noranti?" he asked in concern.

"Catch up already, they're free but cut off likeus," D'argo answered quickly. "If they can get to the real Stark, they'll probably have better chance at surviving this than us."

Sisko remained concerned but stayed silent.

They reached the Crystherium chamber without any other comments.

The doors opened and Scorpius quickly strode out the cramped elevator. Crichton and Aeryn quickly followed.

Sisko turned to Dax and jerked his head towards Sikozu, "Help her. I want to keep an eye on Scorpius."

Dax nodded and pulled out his tricorder and stepped up to Sikozu as Sisko left the left the elevator following in Scorpius'wake.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

On board the Command Carrier, Grayza was staring out a portal, gazing out at Katratzi though it was barely visible as a lightless brown rock hanging in the eternal darkness of space.

Braca came up behind her and reported gravely, "Ma'am, sensors detect weapons fire within the base. And communication intercepts indicate Scarran forces are in pursuit of Crichton and the others with orders to kill."

Grayza didn't move or react, "They must have deactivated the bomb."

"Then he's lost."

Grayza shook her head, "That is still in question," she pivoted suddenly on her foot to stare into Braca's eyes, "Go to battle stations."

"Ma'am?" Braca questioned in surprise.

"Crichton's warships will be nearby, they will call for help. And when the Earth ships get here we will need to protect ourselves from whatever comes," Grayza finished with a flourish.

xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxox

Scorpius stood in among the tall green Crystherium plants surveying the room and seeing the objective he sought to destroy finally at his mercy. The Matriarch plant stood separate from the rest of the plants raised above them all on a dais.

He sneered and raised the Charrid pulse pistol he held in his arms and aimed it triumphantly at the matriarch plant on the dais.

He fired.

An invisible barrier sprang into existence around the plant protecting it.

_No_, Scorpius thought, he fired again and again. The barrier absorbed the blasts and the matriarch plant remained unharmed.

Finally he lowered the rifle, and murmured to himself, "Stark didn't know about it." His voice thundered into a harsh roar as he panted furiously and stomped toward the matriarch plant's raised altar.

"_Stark didn't KNOW ABOUT IT!_ This must be a new addition by the Scarrans!" he raged angrily.

Scorpius turned around and saw D'argo, Aeryn and John standing at the top of the steps watching him intently. While the enigma named Sisko looked at him in contempt.

Crichton smirked, "He doesn't like to lose does he?" he remarked to the others.

"You need to destroy this plant?" Sisko asked in confusion, "It's that important?"

Crichton gestured to the large chamber made only to grow to the plant, "What do you think?"

"It will set the Scarrans back by _three centuries_ in this sector!" exclaimed Scorpius angrily. "It _must_ be destroyed!"

In response, Sisko pulled out his tricorder and scanned the barrier protecting the matriarch plant. After a few seconds he had the frequency of the shield. With his other hand he pulled out his phaser and quickly adjusted the setting and power.

Scorpius's enraged, cruel, calculating eyes watched Sisko intently.

Sisko pointed his phaser at the matriarch plant and fired.

The barrier glowed as the yellow beam pierced it and reached the plant. The Matriarch plant glowed for a moment before slowly disintegrating before their eyes.

"And we're done. What now?" Sisko asked as the other stared at him in shock.

Sisko stared around at the surprised and impressed faces. Inwardly he smiled but nothing was expressed on his face. Perhaps now they would think of him as something other than simple muscle in this mission of theirs.

xoxoxoxoxoxxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoox

Dax finished working on his tricorder, "That should do it. I've locked out their override, no matter what they do, they won't be able take control away of this _elevator_ from us."

Sikozu stared at he Trill, impressed, "That is...impressive."

"Thanks, but why do we need control of an elevator?" Dax asked in confusion, "How's this going to help us?"

Sikozu answered the normal arrogant tone she used with almost everybody "This is not a normal elevator this is a Rabrokator, a drilling elevator."

Dax frowned, "A drilling elevator? So we're going to somehow use this to escape?"

She nodded, "We were going to drill to the surface then have D'argo's ship come pick us up."

Dax's yes narrowed, "I'm sensing a but here."

"I do not know if Crichton's plan will work, his plans are usually..._different_ and unexpected."

Dax eyed Sikozu and opened his mouth to ask how different and unexpected were Crichton's plans but the return of others forestalled his line of questions.

"Sputnik, how's it coming along?" Crichton asked tersely.

"We have control of the Rabrokator and we can reach the surface in a matter of moments," she quickly answered positively.

Crichton blinked, "I think that its maybe getting a little chilly in hell now," he turned to face Aeryn and continued, "that's two things that have totally gone our way."

Aeryn just shrugged, "Statistical probability, it had to happen sometime."

"D, is Lo'la ready?" Crichton asked quickly.

"She should have finished her diagnostics by now, so...we'll find out." D'argo answered.

"That's good enough for me, all aboard for the express wankavator out of Scarren ville!" Crichton called out.

**Author's notes:** Hope you enjoyed this! Do **not** forget to Review!


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